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"I lay on my straw, but I could not sleep. I thought of the
occurrences of the day. What chiefly struck me was the gentle
manners of these people; and I longed to join them, but dared not.
I remembered too well the treatment I had suffered the
night before from the barbarous villagers, and resolved,
whatever course of conduct I might hereafter think it right to
pursue, that for the present I would remain quietly in my
hovel, watching, and endeavouring to discover the motives which
influenced their actions.
"The cottagers arose the next morning before the sun. The young
woman arranged the cottage, and prepared the food; and the youth
departed after the first meal.
"This day was passed in the same routine as that which preceded it.
The young man was constantly employed out of doors, and
the girl in various laborious occupations within. The old man,
whom I soon perceived to be blind, employed his leisure hours
on his instrument or in contemplation. Nothing could exceed
the love and respect which the younger cottagers exhibited
towards their venerable companion. They performed towards him
every little office of affection and duty with gentleness; and
he rewarded them by his benevolent smiles.
"They were not entirely happy. The young man and his companion
often went apart, and appeared to weep. I saw no cause for
their unhappiness; but I was deeply affected by it. If such
lovely creatures were miserable, it was less strange that I, an
imperfect and solitary being, should be wretched. Yet why were
these gentle being unhappy? They possessed a delightful house
(for such it was in my eyes) and every luxury; they had a fire
to warm them when chill, and delicious viands when hungry; they
were dressed in excellent clothes; and, still more, they
enjoyed one another's company and speech, interchanging each
day looks of affection and kindness. What did their tears imply?
Did they really express pain? I was at first unable to
solve these questions; but perpetual attention and time
explained to me many appearances which were at first enigmatic.
"A considerable period elapsed before I discovered one of the
causes of the uneasiness of this amiable family: it was poverty;
and they suffered that evil in a very distressing degree.
Their nourishment consisted entirely of the vegetables
of their garden, and the milk of one cow, which gave very
little during the winter, when its masters could scarcely
procure food to support it. They often, I believe, suffered
the pangs of hunger very poignantly, especially the two younger
cottagers; for several times they placed food before the old
man when they reserved none for themselves.
"This trait of kindness moved me sensibly. I had been
accustomed, during the night, to steal a part of their store
for my own consumption; but when I found that in doing this I
inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained, and satisfied
myself with berries, nuts, and roots, which I gathered from a
neighbouring wood.
"I discovered also another means through which I was enabled to
assist their labours. I found that the youth spent a great
part of each day in collecting wood for the family fire; and,
during the night, I often took his tools, the use of which I
quickly discovered, and brought home firing sufficient for the
consumption of several days.
"I remember the first time that I did this the young woman,
when she opened the door in the morning, appeared greatly
astonished on seeing a great pile of wood on the outside.
She uttered some words in a loud voice, and the youth joined her,
who also expressed surprise. I observed, with pleasure, that
he did not go to the forest that day, but spent it in repairing
the cottage and cultivating the garden.
"By degrees I made a discovery of still greater moment.
I found that these people possessed a method of communicating
their experience and feelings to one another by articulate
sounds. I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes
produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and
countenances of the hearers. This was indeed a godlike
science, and I ardently desired to become acquainted with it.
But I was baffled in every attempt I made for this purpose.
Their pronunciation was quick; and the words they uttered, not
having any apparent connection with visible objects, I was
unable to discover any clue by which I could unravel the
mystery of their reference. By great application, however, and
after having remained during the space of several revolutions
of the moon in my hovel, I discovered the names that were given
to some of the most familiar objects of discourse; I learned
and applied the words, _fire, milk, bread_, and _wood_. I learned
also the names of the cottagers themselves. The youth and
his companion had each of them several names, but the old
man had only one, which was _father_. The girl was called
_sister_, or _Agatha_; and the youth _Felix, brother_, or _son_.
I cannot describe the delight I felt when I learned the ideas
appropriated to each of these sounds, and was able to pronounce
them. I distinguished several other words, without being able
as yet to understand or apply them; such as _good, dearest, unhappy._
"I spent the winter in this manner. The gentle manners and
beauty of the cottagers greatly endeared them to me: when they
were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I
sympathised in their joys. I saw few human beings beside them;
and if any other happened to enter the cottage, their harsh
manners and rude gait only enhanced to me the superior
accomplishments of my friends. The old man, I could perceive,
often endeavoured to encourage his children, as sometimes I
found that he called them, to cast off their melancholy.
He would talk in a cheerful accent, with an expression of goodness
that bestowed pleasure even upon me. Agatha listened with
respect, her eyes sometimes filled with tears, which she
endeavoured to wipe away unperceived; but I generally found
that her countenance and tone were more cheerful after having
listened to the exhortations of her father. It was not thus
with Felix. He was always the saddest of the group; and,
even to my unpractised senses, he appeared to have suffered
more deeply than his friends. But if his countenance was more
sorrowful, his voice was more cheerful than that of his sister,
especially when he addressed the old man.
"I could mention innumerable instances, which, although slight,
marked the dispositions of these amiable cottagers. In the
midst of poverty and want, Felix carried with pleasure to his
sister the first little white flower that peeped out from
beneath the snowy ground. Early in the morning, before she had
risen, he cleared away the snow that obstructed her path to the
milkhouse, drew water from the well, and brought the wood from
the out-house, where, to his perpetual astonishment, he found
his store always replenished by an invisible hand. In the day,
I believe, he worked sometimes for a neighbouring farmer,
because he often went forth, and did not return until dinner,
yet brought no wood with him. At other times he worked in the
garden; but, as there was little to do in the frosty season, he
read to the old man and Agatha.
"This reading had puzzled me extremely at first; but, by
degrees, I discovered that he uttered many of the same sounds
when he read as when he talked. I conjectured, therefore, that
he found on the paper signs for speech which he understood, and
I ardently longed to comprehend these also; but how was that
possible, when I did not even understand the sounds for which
they stood as signs? I improved, however, sensibly in this
science, but not sufficiently to follow up any kind of
conversation, although I applied my whole mind to the
endeavour: for I easily perceived that, although I eagerly
longed to discover myself to the cottagers, I ought not to make
the attempt until I had first become master of their language;
which knowledge might enable me to make them overlook the
deformity of my figure; for with this also the contrast
perpetually presented to my eyes had made me acquainted.
"I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers--their grace,
beauty, and delicate complexions: but how was I terrified when
I viewed myself in a transparent pool! At first I started back,
unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the
mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality
the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest
sensations of despondence and mortification. Alas! I did not
yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity.
"As the sun became warmer, and the light of day longer, the
snow vanished, and I beheld the bare trees and the black earth.
From this time Felix was more employed; and the heart-moving
indications of impending famine disappeared. Their food, as I
afterwards found, was coarse, but it was wholesome; and they
procured a sufficiency of it. Several new kinds of plants
sprung up in the garden, which they dressed; and these signs of
comfort increased daily as the season advanced.
"The old man, leaning on his son, walked each day at noon, when
it did not rain, as I found it was called when the heavens
poured forth its waters. This frequently took place; but a
high wind quickly dried the earth, and the season became far
more pleasant than it had been.
"My mode of life in my hovel was uniform. During the morning,
I attended the motions of the cottagers; and when they were
dispersed in various occupations I slept: the remainder of the
day was spent in observing my friends. When they had retired
to rest, if there was any moon, or the night was star-light, I
went into the woods, and collected my own food and fuel for
the cottage. When I returned, as often as it was necessary, I
cleared their path from the snow, and performed those offices
that I had seen done by Felix. I afterwards found that these
labours, performed by an invisible hand, greatly astonished
them; and once or twice I heard them, on these occasions, utter
the words _good spirit, wonderful_; but I did not then
understand the signification of these terms.
"My thoughts now became more active, and I longed to discover
the motives and feelings of these lovely creatures; I was
inquisitive to know why Felix appeared so miserable and Agatha
so sad. I thought (foolish wretch!) that it might be in my
power to restore happiness to these deserving people. When I
slept, or was absent, the forms of the venerable blind father,
the gentle Agatha, and the excellent Felix flitted before me.
I looked upon them as superior beings, who would be the
arbiters of my future destiny. I formed in my imagination a
thousand pictures of presenting myself to them, and their
reception of me. I imagined that they would be disgusted,
until, by my gentle demeanour and conciliating words, I should
first win their favour, and afterwards their love.
"These thoughts exhilarated me, and led me to apply with fresh
ardour to the acquiring the art of language. My organs were
indeed harsh, but supple; and although my voice was very unlike
the soft music of their tones, yet I pronounced such words as
I understood with tolerable ease. It was as the ass and the
lap-dog; yet surely the gentle ass whose intentions were
affectionate, although his manners were rude, deserved better
treatment than blows and execration.
"The pleasant showers and genial warmth of spring greatly
altered the aspect of the earth. Men, who before this change
seemed to have been hid in caves, dispersed themselves, and
were employed in various arts of cultivation. The birds sang
in more cheerful notes, and the leaves began to bud forth on
the trees. Happy, happy earth! fit habitation for gods, which,
so short a time before, was bleak, damp, and unwholesome.
My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature;
the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil,
and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations
of joy."
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