少年维特的烦恼-第8章

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that　levity　and　gaiety　of　temper　which　will　carry　them　lightly　over　the
dangers　and　troubles　of　life，　their　whole　nature　simple　and　unpolluted，
——　then　I　call　to　mind　the　golden　words　of　the　Great　Teacher　of　mankind，
〃Unless　ye　bee　like　one　of　these　！〃　And　now　，　my　friend，　these　children，
who　are　our　equals，　whom　we　ought　to　consider　as　our　models，　we　treat
them　as　though　they　were　our　subjects。　They　are　allowed　no　will　of　their
own。　And　have　we，　then　，　none　ourselves　？　Whence　es　our　exclusive
right　？　Is　it　because　we　are　older　and　more　experienced？　Great　God！
from　the　height　of　thy　heaven　thou　beholdest　great　children　and　little
children，　and　no　others；　and　thy　Son　has　long　since　declared　which　afford
thee　greatest　pleasure。　But　they　believe　in　him　，　and　hear　him　not　，
——that，　too，　is　an　old　story；　and　they　train　their　children　after
their　own　image　，　etc。　Adieu　，　Wilhelm：　I　will　not　further　bewilder
myself　with　this　subject。

　　JULY　1。　The　consolation　Charlotte　can　bring　to　an　invalid　I　experience
from　my　own　heart　，　which　suffers　more　from　her　absence　than　many　a　poor
creature　lingering　on　a　bed　of　sickness。　She　is　gone　to　spend　a　few　days
in　the　town　with　a　very　worthy　woman，　who　is　given　over　by　the　physicians，
and　wishes　to　have　Charlotte　near　her　in　her　last　moments。　I　acpanied
her　last　week　on　a　visit　to　the　Vicar　of　S——，　a　small　village　in　the
mountains　，　about　a　league　hence。　We　arrived　about　four　o'clock：　Charlotte
had　taken　her　little　sister　with　her。　When　we　entered　the　vicarage　court，
we　found　the　good　old　man　sitting　on　a　bench　before　the　door，　under　the
shade　of　two　large　walnut…trees。　At　the　sight　of　Charlotte　he　seemed　to
gain　new　life　，　rose　，　forgot　his　stick　，　and　ventured　to　walk　toward
her。　She　ran　to　him　，　and　made　him　sit　down　again；　then　，　placing　herself
by　his　side　，　she　gave　him　a　number　of　messages　from　her　father，　and
then　caught　up　his　youngest　child　，　a　dirty，　ugly　little　thing，　the
joy　of　his　old　age，　and　kissed　it。　I　wish　you　could　have　witnessed　her
attention　to　this　old　man　，——how　she　raised　her　voice　on　account　of
his　deafness；　how　she　told　him　of　healthy　young　people　，　who　had　been
carried　off　when　it　was　least　expected；　praised　the　virtues　of　Carlsbad，
and　mended　his　determination　to　spend　the　ensuing　summer　there　；　and
assured　him　that　he　looked　better　and　stronger　than　he　did　when　she　saw
him　last。　I　，　in　the　meantime，　paid　attention　to　his　good　lady。　The
old　man　seemed　quite　in　spirits　；　and　as　I　could　not　help　admiring　the
beauty　of　the　walnut…trees，　which　formed　such　an　agreeable　shade　over
our　heads　，　he　began　，　though　with　some　little　difficulty　，　to　tell
us　their　history。　〃As　to　the　oldest　，〃　said　he　，　〃we　do　not　know　who
planted　it，——　some　say　one　clergyman　，　and　some　another　：　but　the
younger　one　，　there　behind　us，　is　exactly　the　age　of　my　wife，　fifty
years　old　next　October；　her　father　planted　it　in　the　morning　，　and　in
the　evening　she　came　into　the　world。　My　wife's　father　was　my　predecessor
here，　and　I　cannot　tell　you　how　fond　he　was　of　that　tree　；　and　it　is
fully　as　dear　to　me。　Under　the　shade　of　that　very　tree，　upon　a　log　of
wood，　my　wife　was　seated　knitting，　when　I　，　a　poor　student　，　came
into　this　court　for　the　first　time，　just　seven　and　twenty　years　ago。〃
Charlotte　inquired　for　his　daughter。　He　said　she　was　gone　with　Herr　Schmidt
to　the　meadows，　and　was　with　the　haymakers。　The　old　man　then　resumed
his　story　，　and　told　us　how　his　predecessor　had　taken　a　fancy　to　him　，
as　had　his　daughter　likewise；　and　how　he　had　bee　first　his　curate　，
and　subsequently　his　successor。　He　had　scarcely　finished　his　story　when
his　daughter　returned　through　the　garden，　acpanied　by　the　above…mentioned
Herr　Schmidt。　She　weled　Charlotte　affectionately　，　and　I　confess　I
was　much　taken　with　her　appearance。　She　was　a　lively…looking，　good…humoured
brute，　quite　petent　to　amuse　one　for　a　short　time　in　the　country。
Her　lover　（for　such　Herr　Schmidt　evidently　appeared　to　be）　was　a　polite，
reserved　personage，　and　would　not　join　our　conversation，　notwithstanding
all　Charlotte's　endeavours　to　draw　him　out。　I　was　much　annoyed　at　observing，
by　his　countenance，　that　his　silence　did　not　arise　from　want　of　talent，
but　from　caprice　and　ill…humour。　This　subsequently　became　very　evident，
when　we　set　out　to　take　a　walk，　and　Frederica　joining　Charlotte，　with
whom　I　was　talking，　the　worthy　gentleman's　face，　which　was　naturally
rather　sombre　，　became　so　dark　and　angry　that　Charlotte　was　obliged　to
touch　my　arm，　and　remind　me　that　I　was　talking　too　much　to　Frederica。
Nothing　distresses　me　more　than　to　see　men　torment　each　other　；　particularly
when　in　the　flower　of　their　age　，　in　the　very　season　of　pleasure　，　they
waste　their　few　short　days　of　sunshine　in　quarrels　and　disputes　，　and
only　perceive　their　error　when　it　is　too　late　to　repair　it。　This　thought
dwelt　upon　my　mind；　and　in　the　evening　，　when　we　returned　to　the　vicar's，
and　were　sitting　round　the　table　with　our　bread　end　milk，　the　conversation
turned　on　the　joys　and　sorrows　of　the　world　，　I　could　not　resist　the
temptation　to　inveigh　bitterly　against　ill…humour。　〃We　are　apt，〃　said
I　，　〃to　plain　，　but　…　with　very　little　cause　，　that　our　happy　days
are　few　，　and　our　evil　days　many。　If　our　hearts　were　always　disposed
to　receive　the　benefits　Heaven　sends　us　，　we　should　acquire　strength
to　support　evil　when　it　es。〃　〃But，〃　observed　the　vicar's　wife　，　〃we
cannot　always　mand　our　tempers　，　so　much　depends　upon　the　constitution
：　when　the　body　suffers，　the　mind　is　ill　at　ease。〃　〃I　acknowledge　that，
〃　I　continued　；　〃but　we　must　consider　such　a　disposition　in　the　light
of　a　disease，　and　inquire　whether　there　is　no　remedy　for　it。〃　〃I　should
be　glad　to　hear　one　，〃　said　Charlotte：　〃at　least，　I　think　very　much
depends　upon　ourselves；　I　know　it　is　so　with　me。　When　anything　annoys
me，　and　disturbs　my　temper　，　I　hasten　into　the　garden　，　hum　a　couple
of　country　dances　，　and　it　is　all　right　with　me　directly。〃　〃That　is　what
I　meant　，〃　I　replied　；　〃ill…humour　resembles　indolence：　it　is　natural
to　us　；　but　if　once　we　have　courage　to　exert　ourselves　，　we　find　our
work　run　fresh　from　our　hands　，　and　we　experience　in　the　activity　from
which　we　shrank　a　real　enjoyment。〃　Frederica　listened　very　attentively
：　and　the　young　man　objected　，　that　we　were　not　masters　of　ourselves，
and　still　less　so　of　our　feelings。　〃The　question　is　about　a　disagreeable
feeling　，〃　I　added　，　〃from　which　every　one　would　willingly　escape　，
but　none　know　their　own　power　without　trial。　Invalids　are　glad　to　consult
physicians，　and　submit　to　the　most　scrupulous　regimen，　the　most　nauseous
medicines　，　in　order　to　recover　their　health。〃　I　observed　that　the　good
old　man　inclined　his　head　，　and　exerted　himself　to　hear　our　discourse
；　so　I　raised　my　voice　，　and　addressed　myself　directly　to　him。　We　preach
against　a　great　many　crimes　，〃　I　observed，　〃but　I　never　remember　a　sermon
delivered　against　ill…humour。〃　〃That　may　do　very　well　for　your　town　clergymen，
〃　said　he　：　〃country　p