按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
composer； having made his debut at the Italian opera under a feigned
name； ran away with a young lady in Germany。 The dying father
commended the young man； who was really full of talent； to his son…in…
law； proving to him； at the same time； that he had refused to marry
the mother that he might not injure Madame Minoret。 The doctor
promised to give the unfortunate Joseph half of whatever his wife
inherited from her father； whose business was purchased by the Erards。
He made due search for his illegitimate brother…in…law； but Grimm
informed him one day that after enlisting in a Prussian regiment
Joseph had deserted and taken a false name and that all efforts to
find him would be frustrated。
Joseph Mirouet； gifted by nature with a delightful voice； a fine
figure； a handsome face； and being moreover a composer of great taste
and much brilliancy； led for over fifteen years the Bohemian life
which Hoffman has so well described。 So； by the time he was forty； he
was reduced to such depths of poverty that he took advantage of the
events of 1806 to make himself once more a Frenchman。 He settled in
Hamburg； where he married the daughter of a bourgeois； a girl devoted
to music； who fell in love with the singer （whose fame was ever
prospective） and chose to devote her life to him。 But after fifteen
years of Bohemia； Joseph Mirouet was unable to bear prosperity； he was
naturally a spendthrift； and though kind to his wife； he wasted her
fortune in a very few years。 The household must have dragged on a
wretched existence before Joseph Mirouet reached the point of
enlisting as a musician in a French regiment。 In 1813 the surgeon…
major of the regiment； by the merest chance； heard the name of
Mirouet； was struck by it； and wrote to Doctor Minoret； to whom he was
under obligations。
The answer was not long in coming。 As a result； in 1814； before the
allied occupation； Joseph Mirouet had a home in Paris； where his wife
died giving birth to a little girl； whom the doctor desired should be
called Ursula after his wife。 The father did not long survive the
mother； worn out； as she was； by hardship and poverty。 When dying the
unfortunate musician bequeathed his daughter to the doctor； who was
already her godfather； in spite of his repugnance for what he called
the mummeries of the Church。 Having seen his own children die in
succession either in dangerous confinements or during the first year
of their lives； the doctor had awaited with anxiety the result of a
last hope。 When a nervous； delicate； and sickly woman begins with a
miscarriage it is not unusual to see her go through a series of such
pregnancies as Ursula Minoret did； in spite of the care and
watchfulness and science of her husband。 The poor man often blamed
himself for their mutual persistence in desiring children。 The last
child； born after a rest of nearly two years； died in 1792； a victim
of its mother's nervous conditionif we listen to physiologists； who
tell us that in the inexplicable phenomenon of generation the child
derives from the father by blood and from the mother in its nervous
system。
Compelled to renounce the joys of a feeling all powerful within him；
the doctor turned to benevolence as a substitute for his denied
paternity。 During his married life； thus cruelly disappointed； he had
longed more especially for a fair little daughter； a flower to bring
joy to the house； he therefore gladly accepted Joseph Mirouet's
legacy； and gave to the orphan all the hopes of his vanished dreams。
For two years he took part； as Cato for Pompey； in the most minute
particulars of Ursula's life； he would not allow the nurse to suckle
her or to take her up or put her to bed without him。 His medical
science and his experience were all put to use in her service。 After
going through many trials； alternations of hope and fear； and the joys
and labors of a mother； he had the happiness of seeing this child of
the fair German woman and the French singer a creature of vigorous
health and profound sensibility。
With all the eager feelings of a mother the happy old man watched the
growth of the pretty hair； first down； then silk； at last hair； fine
and soft and clinging to the fingers that caressed it。 He often kissed
the little naked feet the toes of which； covered with a pellicle
through which the blood was seen； were like rosebuds。 He was
passionately fond of the child。 When she tried to speak； or when she
fixed her beautiful blue eyes upon some object with that serious；
reflective look which seems the dawn of thought； and which she ended
with a laugh； he would stay by her side for hours； seeking； with
Jordy's help； to understand the reasons （which most people call
caprices） underlying the phenomena of this delicious phase of life；
when childhood is both flower and fruit； a confused intelligence； a
perpetual movement； a powerful desire。
Ursula's beauty and gentleness made her so dear to the doctor that he
would have liked to change the laws of nature in her behalf。 He
declared to old Jordy that his teeth ached when Ursula was cutting
hers。 When old men love children there is no limit to their passion
they worship them。 For these little beings they silence their own
manias or recall a whole past in their service。 Experience； patience；
sympathy； the acquisitions of life； treasures laboriously amassed； all
are spent upon that young life in which they live again； their
intelligence does actually take the place of motherhood。 Their wisdom；
ever on the alert； is equal to the intuition of a mother； they
remember the delicate perceptions which in their own mother were
divinations； and import them into the exercise of a compassion which
is carried to an extreme in their minds by a sense of the child's
unutterable weakness。 The slowness of their movements takes the place
of maternal gentleness。 In them； as in children； life is reduced to
its simplest expression； if maternal sentiment makes the mother a
slave； the abandonment of self allows an old man to devote himself
utterly。 For these reasons it is not unusual to see children in close
intimacy with old persons。 The old soldier； the old abbe； the old
doctor； happy in the kisses and cajoleries of little Ursula； were
never weary of answering her talk and playing with her。 Far from
making them impatient her petulances charmed them； and they gratified
all her wishes； making each the ground of some little training。
The child grew up surrounded by old men； who smiled at her and made
themselves mothers for her sake； all three equally attentive and
provident。 Thanks to this wise education； Ursula's soul developed in a
sphere that suited it。 This rare plant found its special soil； it
breathed the elements of its true life and assimilated the sun rays
that belonged to it。
〃In what faith do you intend to bring up the little one？〃 asked the
abbe of the doctor； when Ursula was six years old。
〃In yours；〃 answered Minoret。
An atheist after the manner of Monsieur Wolmar in the 〃Nouvelle
Heloise〃 he did not claim the right to deprive Ursula of the benefits
offered by the Catholic religion。 The doctor； sitting at the moment on
a bench outside the Chinese pagoda； felt the pressure of the abbe's
hand on his。
〃Yes； abbe； every time she talks to me of God I shall send her to her
friend 'Shapron；'〃 he said； imitating Ursula's infant speech； 〃I wish
to see whether religious sentiment is inborn or not。 Therefore I shall
do nothing either for or against the tendencies of that young soul；
but in my heart I have appointed you her spiritual guardian。〃
〃God will reward you； I hope；〃 replied the abbe； gently joining his
hands and raising them towards heaven as if he were making a brief
mental prayer。
So； from the time she was six years old the little orphan lived under
the religious influence of the abbe； just as she had already come
under the educational training of her friend Jordy。
The captain； formerly a professor in a military academy； having a
taste for grammar and for the differences among European languages；
had studied the problem of a universal tongue。 This learned man；
patient as most old scholars are； delighted in teaching Ursula to read
and write。 He taught her also the French language and all she needed
to know of arithmetic。 The doctor's library afforded a choice of books
which could be read by a child for amusement as well as instruction。
The abbe and the soldier allowed the young mind to enrich itself with
the freedom and comfort which the doctor gave to the body。 Ursula
learned as she played。 Religion was given with due reflection。 Left to
follow the divine training of a nature that was led into regions of
purity by these judicious educators； Ursula inclined more to sentiment
than to duty； she took as her rule of conduct the voice of her own
conscience rather than the demands of social law。 In her； nobility of
feeling and action