"You must remember, Monsieur, that the education of the poor has to be conducted with a great deal of circumspection, and with a view to that future state of dependence they must occupy in society.Perhaps you are not aware that the late Noel Alexandre died a bankrupt, and that his daughter is being educated almost by charity?""Oh! Monsieur!" I exclaimed, "do not say it! To say it is to pay oneself back, and then the statement ceases to be true.""The liabilities of the estate," continued the notary, "exceeded the assets.But I was able to effect a settlement with the creditors in favour of the minor."He undertook to explain matters in detail.I declined to listen to these explanations, being incapable of understanding business methods in general, and those of Maitre Mouche in particular.The notary then took it upon himself to justify Mademoiselle Prefere's educational system, and observed by way of conclusion, "It is not by amusing oneself that one can learn.""It is only by amusing oneself that one can learn," I replied."The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards;and curiosity itself can be vivid and wholesome only in proportion as the mind is contented and happy.Those acquirements crammed by force into the minds of children simply clog and stifle intelligence.
In order that knowledge be properly digested, it must have been swallowed with a good appetite.I know Jeanne! If that child were intrusted to my care, I should make of her--not a learned woman, for I would look to her future happiness only--but a child full of bright intelligence and full of life, in whom everything beautiful in art or nature would awaken some gentle responsive thrill.Iwould teach her to live in sympathy with all that is beautiful--comely landscapes, the ideal scenes of poetry and history, the emotional charm of noble music.I would make lovable to her everything I would wish her to love.Even her needlework I would make pleasurable to her, by a proper choice of fabrics, the style of embroideries, the designs of lace.I would give her a beautiful dog, and a pony to teach her how to manage animals; I would give her birds to take care of, so that she could learn the value of even a drop of water and a crumb of bread.And in order that she should have a still higher pleasure, I would train her to find delight in exercising charity.
And inasmuch as none of us may escape pain, I should teach her that Christian wisdom which elevates us above all suffering, and gives a beauty even to grief itself.That is my idea of the right way to educate a young girl.""I yield, Monsieur," replied Maitre Mouche, joining his black-gloved hands together.
And he rose.
"Of course you understand," I remarked, as I went to the door with him, "that I do not pretend for a moment to impose my educational system upon Mademoiselle Prefere; it is necessarily a private one, and quite incompatible with the organisation of even the best-managed boarding schools.I only ask you to persuade her to give Jeanne less work and more play, and not to punish her except in case of absolute necessity, and to let her have as much freedom of mind and body as the regulations of the institution permit."It was with a pale and mysterious smile that Maitre Mouche informed me that my observations would be taken in good part, and should receive all possible consideration.
Therewith he made me a little bow, and took his departure, leaving me with a peculiar feeling of discomfort and uneasiness.I have met a great many strange characters in my time, but never any at all resembling either this notary or this schoolmistress.
July 6.
Maitre Mouche has so much delayed me by his visit that I gave up going to see Jeanne that day.Professional duties kept me very busy for the rest of the week.Although at the age when most men retire altogether from active life, I am still attached by a thousand ties to the society in which I have lived.I have to reside at meetings of academies, scientific congresses, assemblies of various learned bodies.I am overburdened with honorary functions; I have seven of these in one governmental department alone.The bureaux would be very glad to get rid of them.But habit is stronger than both of us together, and I continue to hobble up the stairs of various government buildings.Old clerks point me out to each other as I go by like a ghost wandering through the corridors.When one has become very old one finds it extremely difficult to disappear.Nevertheless, it is time, as the old song says, 'de prendre ma retraite et de songer a faire un fin"--to retire on my pension and prepare myself to die a good death.
An old marchioness, who used to be a friend of Hevetius in her youth, and whom I once met at my father's house when a very old woman, was visited during her last sickness by the priest of her parish, who wanted to prepare her to die.
"Is that really necessary?" she asked."I see everybody else manage it perfectly well the first time."My father went to see her very soon afterwards and found her extremely ill.
"Good-evening, my friend!" she said, pressing his hand."I am going to see whether God improves upon acquaintance."So were wont to die the belles amies of the philosophers.Such an end is certainly not vulgar nor impertinent, and such levities are not of the sort that emanate from dull minds.Nevertheless, they shock me.Neither my fears nor my hopes could accommodate themselves to such a mode of departure.I would like to make mine with a perfectly collected mind; and that is why I must begin to think, in a year or two, about some way of belonging to myself; otherwise, Ishould certainly risk....But, hush! let Him not hear His name and turn to look as He passes by! I can still lift my fagot without His aid.
