sons of the soil-第8章

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just　the　amount　of　force　that　is　needed；　neither　more　nor　less；　he

attends　to　the　essential　and　to　nothing　beyond。　External　perfection　he

has　no　conception　of。　An　unerring　judge　of　the　necessary　in　all

things；　he　thoroughly　understands　degrees　of　strength；　and　knows　very

well　when　working　for　an　employer　how　to　give　the　least　possible　for

the　most　he　can　get。　This　contemptible…looking　gun　will　be　found　to

play　a　serious　part　in　the　life　of　the　family　inhabiting　this　cottage；

and　you　will　presently　learn　how　and　why。



Have　you　now　taken　in　all　the　many　details　of　this　hovel；　planted

about　five　hundred　feet　away　from　the　pretty　gate　of　Les　Aigues？　Do

you　see　it　crouching　there；　like　a　beggar　beside　a　palace？　Well；　its

roof　covered　with　velvet　mosses；　its　clacking　hens；　its　grunting　pig；

its　straying　heifer；　all　its　rural　graces　have　a　horrible　meaning。



Fastened　to　a　pole；　which　was　stuck　in　the　ground　beside　the　entrance

through　the　fence；　was　a　withered　bunch　of　three　pine　branches　and

some　old　oak…leaves　tied　together　with　a　rag。　Above　the　door　of　the

house　a　roving　artist　had　painted；　probably　in　return　for　his

breakfast；　a　huge　capital　〃I〃　in　green　on　a　white　ground　two　feet

square；　and　for　the　benefit　of　those　who　could　read；　this　witty　joke

in　twelve　letters：　〃Au　Grand…I…Vert〃　（hiver）。　On　the　left　of　the　door

was　a　vulgar　sign　bearing；　in　colored　letters；　〃Good　March　beer；〃　and

the　picture　of　a　foaming　pot　of　the　same；　with　a　woman；　in　a　dress

excessively　low…necked；　on　one　side；　and　an　hussar　on　the　other；both

coarsely　colored。　Consequently；　in　spite　of　the　blooming　flowers　and

the　fresh　country　air；　this　cottage　exhaled　the　same　strong　and

nauseous　odor　of　wine　and　food　which　assails　you　in　Paris　as　you　pass

the　door　of　the　cheap　cook…shops　of　the　faubourg。



Now　you　know　the　surroundings。　Behold　the　inhabitants　and　hear　their

history；　which　contains　more　than　one　lesson　for　philanthropists。



The　proprietor　of　the　Grand…I…Vert；　named　Francois　Tonsard；　commends

himself　to　the　attention　of　philosophers　by　the　manner　in　which　he　had

solved　the　problem　of　an　idle　life　and　a　busy　life；　so　as　to　make　the

idleness　profitable；　and　occupation　nil。



A　jack…of…all…trades；　he　knew　how　to　cultivate　the　ground；　but　for

himself　only。　For　others；　he　dug　ditches；　gathered　fagots；　barked　the

trees；　or　cut　them　down。　In　all　such　work　the　employer　is　at　the　mercy

of　the　workman。　Tonsard　owned　his　plot　of　ground　to　the　generosity　of

Mademoiselle　Laguerre。　In　his　early　youth　he　had　worked　by　the　day　for

the　gardener　at　Les　Aigues；　and　he　really　had　not　his　equal　in

trimming　the　shrubbery…trees；　the　hedges；　the　horn…beams；　and　the

horse…chestnuts。　His　very　name　shows　hereditary　talent。　In　remote

country…places　privileges　exist　which　are　obtained　and　preserved　with

as　much　care　as　the　merchants　of　a　city　display　in　getting　theirs。

Mademoiselle　Laguerre　was　one　day　walking　in　the　garden；　when　she

overheard　Tonsard；　then　a　strapping　fellow；　say；　〃All　I　need　to　live

on；　and　live　happily；　is　an　acre　of　land。〃　The　kind　creature；

accustomed　to　make　others　happy；　gave　him　the　acre　of　vineyard　near

the　gate　of　Blangy；　in　return　for　one　hundred　days'　work　（a　delicate

regard　for　his　feelings　which　was　little　understood）；　and　allowed　him

to　stay　at　Les　Aigues；　where　he　lived　with　her　servants；　who　thought

him　one　of　the　best　fellows　in　Burgundy。



Poor　Tonsard　（that　is　what　everybody　called　him）　worked　about　thirty

days　out　of　the　hundred　that　he　owed；　the　rest　of　the　time　he　idled

about；　talking　and　laughing　with　Mademoiselle's　women；　particularly

with　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　the　lady's　maid；　though　she　was　ugly；　like

all　confidential　maids　of　handsome　actresses。　Laughing　with

Mademoiselle　Cochet　signified　so　many　things　that　Soudry；　the

fortunate　gendarme　mentioned　in　Blondet's　letter；　still　looked　askance

at　Tonsard　after　the　lapse　of　nearly　twenty…five　years。　The　walnut

wardrobe；　the　bedstead　with　the　tester　and　curtains；　and　the　ornaments

about　the　bedroom　were　doubtless　the　result　of　the　said　laughter。



Once　in　possession　of　his　care；　Tonsard　replied　to　the　first　person

who　happened　to　mention　that　Mademoiselle　Laguerre　had　given　it　to

him；　〃I've　bought　it　deuced　hard；　and　paid　well　for　it。　Do　rich　folks

ever　give　us　anything？　Are　one　hundred　days'　work　nothing？　It　has　cost

me　three　hundred　francs；　and　the　land　is　all　stones。〃　But　that　speech

never　got　beyond　the　regions　of　his　own　class。



Tonsard　built　his　house　himself；　picking　up　the　materials　here　and

there　as　he　could；getting　a　day's　work　out　of　this　one　and　that　one；

gleaning　in　the　rubbish　that　was　thrown　away；　often　asking　for　things

and　always　obtaining　them。　A　discarded　door　cut　in　two　for　convenience

in　carrying　away　became　the　door　of　the　stable；　the　window　was　the

sash　of　a　green…house。　In　short；　the　rubbish　of　the　chateau；　served　to

build　the　fatal　cottage。



Saved　from　the　draft　by　Gaubertin；　the　steward　of　Les　Aigues；　whose

father　was　prosecuting…attorney　of　the　department；　and　who；　moreover；

could　refuse　nothing　to　Mademoiselle　Cochet；　Tonsard　married　as　soon

as　his　house　was　finished　and　his　vines　had　begun　to　bear。　A　well…

grown　fellow　of　twenty…three；　in　everybody's　good　graces　at　Les

Aigues；　on　whom　Mademoiselle　had　bestowed　an　acre　of　her　land；　and　who

appeared　to　be　a　good　worker；　he　had　the　art　to　ring　the　praises　of

his　negative　merits；　and　so　obtained　the　daughter　of　a　farmer　on　the

Ronquerolles　estate；　which　lies　beyond　the　forest　of　Les　Aigues。



This　farmer　held　the　lease　of　half　a　farm；　which　was　going　to　ruin　in

his　hands　for　want　of　a　helpmate。　A　widower；　and　inconsolable　for　the

loss　of　his　wife；　he　tried　to　drown　his　troubles；　like　the　English；　in

wine；　and　then；　when　he　had　put　the　poor　deceased　out　of　his　mind；　he

found　himself　married；　so　the　village　maliciously　declared；　to　a　woman

named　Boisson。　From　being　a　farmer　he　became　once　more　a　laborer；　but

an　idle　and　drunken　laborer；　quarrelsome　and　vindictive；　capable　of

any　ill…deed；　like　most　of　his　class　when　they　fall　from　a　well…to…do

state　of　life　into　poverty。　This　man；　whose　practical　information　and

knowledge　of　reading　and　writing　placed　him　far　above　his　fellow…

workmen；　while　his　vices　kept　him　at　the　level　of　pauperism；　you　have

already　seen　on　the　banks　of　the　Avonne；　measuring　his　cleverness　with

that　of　one　of　the　cleverest　men　in　Paris；　in　a　bucolic　overlooked　by

Virgil。



Pere　Fourchon；　formerly　a　schoolmaster　at　Blangy；　lost　that　place

through　misconduct　and　his　singular　ideas　as　to　public　education。　He

helped　the　children　to　make　paper　boats　with　their　alphabets　much

oftener　than　he　taught　them　how　to　spell；　he　scolded　them　in　so

remarkable　a　manner　for　pilfering　fruit　that　his　lectures　might　really

have　passed　for　lessons　on　the　best　way　of　scaling　the　walls。　From

teacher　he　became　a　postman。　In　this　capacity；　which　serves　as　a

refuge　to　many　an　old　soldier；　Pere　Fourchon　was　daily　reprimanded。

Sometimes　he　forgot　the　letters　in　a　tavern；　at　other　times　he　kept

them　in　his　pocket。　When　he　was　drunk　he　left　those　for　one　village　in

another　village；　when　he　was　sober　he　read　them。　Consequently；　he　was

soon　dismissed。　No　longer　able　to　serve　the　State；　Pere　Fourchon　ended

by　becoming　a　manufacturer。　In　the　country　a　poor　man　can　always　get

something　to　do；　and　make　at　least　a　pretence　of　gaining　an　honest

livelihood。　At　sixty…eight　years　of　age　the　old　man　started　his　rope…

walk；　a　manufactory　which　requires　the　very　smallest　capital。　The

workshop　is；　as　we　have　seen；　any　convenient　wall；　the　machinery　costs

about　ten　francs。　The　apprentice　slept；　like　his　master；　in　a　hay…

loft；　and　lived　on　whatever　he　could　pick　up。　The　rapacity　of　the　law

in　the　matter　of　doors　and　windows　expires　〃sub　dio。〃　The　tow　to　make

the　first　rope　can　be　borrowed。　But　the　principal　revenue　of　Pere

Fourchon　and　his　satellite　Mouche；　the　natural　son　of　one　of　his

natural　daughters；　came　from　the　otters；　and　then　there　were

breakfasts　and　dinners　given　them　by　peasants　who　could　neither　read

nor　write；　and　were　glad　to　use　the　old　fellow's　talents　when　they　had

a　bill　to　make　out；　or　a　letter　to　dispatch。　Besides　all　this；　he　knew

how　to　play　the　clarionet；　and　he　went　about　with　his　friend

Vermichel；　the　miller　of　Soulanges；　to　village　weddings　and　the　grand

balls　given　at　the　Tivoli　of　Soulanges。



Vermichel's　name　was　Michel　Vert；　but　the　transposition　was　so

generally　used　that　Brunet；　the　clerk　of　the　municipal　court　of

Soulanges；　was　in　the　habit　of　writing　Michel…Jean…Jerome　Vert；　called

Vermichel；　practitioner。　Vermichel；　a　famous　violin　in　the　Burgundian

regiment　of　former　days；　had　procured　for　Pere　Fourchon；　in

recognition　of　certain　services；　a　situation　as　practitioner；　which　in

remote　country…places　usually　devolves　on　those　who　are　able　to　sign

their　name。　Pere　Fourchon　therefore　added　to　his　other　avocations　that

of　witness；　or　practitioner　of　legal　papers；　whenever　the　Sieur　Brunet

came　to　draw　them　in　the　districts　of　Cerneux；　Conches；　and　Blangy。

Vermichel　and　Fourchon；　allied　by　a　friendship　of　twenty　years'

tippling；　might　really　be　considered　a　business　firm。



Mouche　and　Fourchon；　bound　together　by　vice　as　Mentor　and　Telemachus

by　virtue；　travelled　like　the　latter；　in　search　of　their　father；

〃panis　angelorum；〃the　only　Latin　words　which　the　old　fellow's　memory

had　retained。　They　went　about　scraping　up　the　pickings　of　the　Grand…I…

Vert；　and　those　of　the　adjacent　chateaux；　for　between　them；　in　their

busiest　and　most　prosperous　years；　they　had　never　contrived　to　make　as

much　as　three　hundred　and　sixty　fathoms　of　rope。　In　the　first　place；

no　dealer　within　a　radius　of　fifty　miles　would　have　trusted　his　tow　to

either　Mouche　or　Fourchon。　The　old　man；　surpassing　the　miracles　of

modern　chemistry；　knew　too　well　how　to　resolve　the　tow　into　the　all…

benignant　juice　of　the　grape。　Moreover；　his　triple　functions　of　public

writer　for　three　townships；　legal　practitioner　for　one；　and　clarionet…

player　at　large；　hindered；　so　he　said；　the　development　of　his

business。



Thus　it　happened　that　Tonsard　was　disappointed　from　the　start　in　the

hope　he　had　indulged　of　increasing　his　comfort　by　an　increase　of

property　in　marriage。　The　idle　son…in…law　had　chanced；　by　a　very

common　accident；　on　an　idler　father…in…law。　Matters　went　all　the　worse

because　Tonsard's　wife；　gifted　with　a　sort　of　rustic　beauty；　being

tall　and　well…made；　was　not　fond　of　work　in　the　open　air。　Tonsard

blamed　his　wife　for　her　father's　short…comings；　and　ill…treated　her；

with　the　customary　revenge　of　the　common　people；　whose　minds　take　in

only　an　effect　and　rarely　look　back　to　causes。



Finding　her　fetters　heavy；　the　woman　lightened　them。　She　used

Tonsard's　vices　to　get　the　better　of　him。　Loving　comfort　and　good

eating　herself；　she　encouraged　his　idleness　and　glutt