少年维特的烦恼-第16章

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Could　you　but　see　，　sweet　saint！　the　peace　and　harmony　that　dwells　amongst
us，　you　would　glorify　God　with　the　warmest　feelings　of　gratitude　，　to
whom，　in　your　last　hour，　you　addressed　such　fervent　prayers　for　our
happiness。'〃　Thus　did　she　express　herself　；　but　O　Wilhelm！　who　can　do
justice　to　her　language　？　how　can　cold　and　passionless　words　convey　the
heavenly　expressions　of　the　spirit？　Albert　interrupted　her　gently。　〃This
affects　you　too　deeply，　my　dear　Charlotte。　I　know　your　soul　dwells　on
such　recollections　wlth　intense　delight　；　but　I　implore——　〃　〃O　Albert！
〃　she　continued　，　〃I　am　sure　you　do　not　forget　the　evenings　when　we　three
used　to　sit　at　the　little　round　table　，　when　papa　was　absent　，　and　the
little　ones　had　retired。　You　often　had　a　good　book　with　you　，　but　seldom
read　it　；　the　conversation　of　that　noble　being　was　preferable　to　everything，
——　that　beautiful　，　bright　，　gentle　，　and　yet　ever…toiling　woman。
God　alone　knows　how　I　have　supplicated　with　tears　on　my　nightly　couch　，
that　I　might　be　like　her。〃

　　I　threw　myself　at　her　feet，　and，　seizing　her　hand　，　bedewed　it
with　a　thousand　tears。　〃Charlotte　！〃　I　exclaimed　，　〃God's　blessing　and
your　mother's　spirit　are　upon　you。〃　〃Oh　！　that　you　had　known　her　，〃
she　said，　with　a　warm　pressure　of　the　hand。　〃She　was　worthy　of　being
known　to　you。〃　I　thought　I　should　have　fainted：　never　had　I　received
praise　so　flattering。　She　continued　，　〃And　yet　she　was　doomed　to　die
in　the　flower　of　her　youth，　when　her　youngest　child　was　scarcely　six
months　old。　Her　illness　was　but　short　，　but　she　was　calm　and　resigned
；　and　it　was　only　for　her　children　，　especially　the　youngest，　that
she　felt　unhappy。　When　her　end　drew　nigh，　she　bade　me　bring　them　to　her。
I　obeyed。　The　younger　ones　knew　nothing　of　their　approaching　loss　，　while
the　elder　ones　were　quite　overe　with　grief。　They　stood　around　the　bed
；　and　she　raised　her　feeble　hands　to　heaven，　and　prayed　over　them　；
then，　kissing　them　in　turn　，　she　dismissed　them　，　and　said　to　me　，
'Be　you　a　mother　to　them。'　I　gave　her　my　hand。　'You　are　promising　much，
my　child，'　she　said：　'a　mother's　fondness　and　a　mother's　care　！　I　have
often　witnessed　，　by　your　tears　of　gratitude　，　that　you　know　what　is
a　mother's　tenderness　：　show　it　to　your　brothers　and　sisters　，　and　be
dutiful　and　faithful　to　your　father　as　a　wife　；　you　will　be　his　fort。'
She　inquired　for　him。　He　had　retired　to　conceal　his　intolerable　anguish，
——　he　was　heartbroken　，　〃Albert，　you　were　in　the　room。　She　heard　some
one　moving：　she　inquired　who　it　was，　and　desired　you　to　approach。　She
surveyed　us　both　with　a　look　of　posure　and　satisfaction，　expressive
of　her　conviction　that　we　should　be　happy　，——　happy　with　one　another。〃
Albert　fell　upon　her　neck　，　and　kissed　her　，　and　exclaimed，　〃We　are
so，　and　we　shall　be　so　！〃　Even　Albert　，　generally　so　tranquil，　had
quite　lost　his　posure；　and　I　was　excited　beyond　expression。

　　〃And　such　a　being　，〃　She　continued　，　〃was　to　leave　us　，　Werther！
Great　God　，　must　we　thus　part　with　everything　we　hold　dear　in　this　world？
Nobody　felt　this　more　acutely　than　the　children　：　they　cried　and　lamented
for　a　long　time　afterward　，　plaining　that　men　had　carried　away　their
dear　mamma。〃

　　Charlotte　rose。　It　aroused　me　；　but　I　continued　sitting，　and　held
her　hand。　〃Let　us　go，〃　she　said：　〃it　grows　late。〃　She　attempted　to　withdraw
her　hand：　I　held　it　still。　〃We　shall　see　each　other　again，〃　I　exclaimed
：　〃we　shall　recognise　each　other　under　every　possible　change　！　I　am
going　，〃　I　continued　，　〃going　willingly　；　but，　should　I　say　for　ever，
perhaps　I　may　not　keep　my　word。　Adieu　，　Charlotte；　adieu，　Albert。　We
shall　meet　again。〃　〃Yes　：　tomorrow　，　I　think，〃　she　answered　with　a
smile。　Tomorrow　！　how　I　felt　the　word！　Ah　！　she　little　thought　，　when
she　drew　her　hand　away　from　mine。　They　walked　down　the　avenue。　I　stood
gazing　after　them　in　the　moonlight。　I　threw　myself　upon　the　ground，　and
wept：　I　then　sprang　up　，　and　ran　out　upon　the　terrace　，　and　saw，　under
the　shade　of　the　linden…trees　，　her　white　dress　disappearing　near　the
garden…gate。　I　stretched　out　my　arms，　and　she　vanished。

　　BOOK　II。

　　OCTOBER　2O。　We　arrived　here　yesterday。　The　ambassador　is　indisposed，
and　will　not　go　out　for　some　days。　If　he　were　less　peevish　and　morose　，
all　would　be　well。　I　see　but　too　plainly　that　Heaven　has　destined　me　to
severe　trials　；　but　courage！　a　light　heart　may　bear　anything。　A　light
heart　！　I　smile　to　find　such　a　word　proceeding　from　my　pen。　A　little
more　lightheartedness　would　render　me　the　happiest　being　under　the　sun。
But　must　I　despair　of　my　talents　and　faculties，　whilst　others　of　far
inferior　abilities　parade　before　me　with　the　utmost　self…satisfaction　？
Gracious　Providence　，　to　whom　I　owe　all　my　powers，　why　didst　thou　not
withhold　some　of　those　blessings　I　possess，　and　substitute　in　their　place
a　feeling　of　self…confidence　and　contentment？

　　But　patience！　all　will　yet　be　well　；　for　I　assure　you　，　my　dear
friend，　you　were　right　：　since　I　have　been　obliged　to　associate　continually
with　other　people　，　and　observe　what　they　do　，　and　how　they　employ　themselves，
I　have　bee　far　better　satisfied　with　myself。　For　we　are　so　constituted
by　nature　，　that　we　are　ever　prone　to　pare　ourselves　with　others；
and　our　happiness　or　misery　depends　very　much　on　the　objects　and　persons
around　us。　On　this　account，　nothing　is　more　dangerous　than　solitude：
there　our　imagination　，　always　disposed　to　rise，　taking　a　new　flight
on　the　wings　of　fancy　，　pictures　to　us　a　chain　of　beings　of　whom　we　seem
the　most　inferior。　All　things　appear　greater　than　they　really　are　，　and
all　seem　superior　to　us。　This　operation　of　the　mind　is　quite　natural：
we　so　continually　feel　our　own　imperfections，　and　fancy　we　perceive　in
others　the　qualities　we　do　not　possess，　attributing　to　them　also　all
that　we　enjoy　ourselves　，　that　by　this　process　we　form　the　idea　of　a
perfect　，　happy　man，——　a　man，　however，　who　only　exists　in　our　own
imagination。　But　when　，　in　spite　of　weakness　and　disappointments　，　we
set　to　work　in　earnest，　and　persevere　steadily　，　we　often　find，　that，
though　obliged　continually　to　tack，　we　make　more　way　than　others　who
have　the　assistance　of　wind　and　tide；　and，　in　truth　，　there　can　be
no　greater　satisfaction　than　to　keep　pace　with　others　or　outstrip　them
in　the　race。

　　NOVEMBER　26。　I　begin　to　find　my　situation　here　more　tolerable　，　considering
all　circumstances。　I　find　a　great　advantage　in　being　much　occupied；　and
the　number　of　persons　I　meet，　and　their　different　pursuits　，　create
a　varied　entertainment　for　me。　I　have　formed　the　acquaintance　of　the　Count
C　——　and　I　esteem　him　more　and　more　every　day。　He　is　a　man　of　strong
understanding　and　great　discernment　；　but，　though　he　sees　farther　than
other　people，　he　is　not　on　that　account　cold　in　his　manner　，　but　capable
of　inspiring　and　returning　the　warmest　affection。　He　appeared　interested
in　me　on　one　occasion　，　when　I　had　to　transact　some　business　with　him。
He　perceived，　at　the　first　wor