登陆注册
5429400000046

第46章 BACK TO THE WORLD

OF the next two days' sail little remains in my mind, and nothing whatever in my note-book. The river streamed on steadily through pleasant river-side landscapes. Washerwomen in blue dresses, fishers in blue blouses, diversified the green banks; and the relation of the two colours was like that of the flower and the leaf in the forget-me-not. A symphony in forget-me-not; I think Theophile Gautier might thus have characterised that two days'

panorama. The sky was blue and cloudless; and the sliding surface of the river held up, in smooth places, a mirror to the heaven and the shores. The washerwomen hailed us laughingly; and the noise of trees and water made an accompaniment to our dozing thoughts, as we fleeted down the stream.

The great volume, the indefatigable purpose of the river, held the mind in chain. It seemed now so sure of its end, so strong and easy in its gait, like a grown man full of determination. The surf was roaring for it on the sands of Havre.

For my own part, slipping along this moving thoroughfare in my fiddle-case of a canoe, I also was beginning to grow aweary for my ocean. To the civilised man, there must come, sooner or later, a desire for civilisation. I was weary of dipping the paddle; I was weary of living on the skirts of life; I wished to be in the thick of it once more; I wished to get to work; I wished to meet people who understood my own speech, and could meet with me on equal terms, as a man, and no longer as a curiosity.

And so a letter at Pontoise decided us, and we drew up our keels for the last time out of that river of Oise that had faithfully piloted them, through rain and sunshine, for so long. For so many miles had this fleet and footless beast of burthen charioted our fortunes, that we turned our back upon it with a sense of separation. We had made a long detour out of the world, but now we were back in the familiar places, where life itself makes all the running, and we are carried to meet adventure without a stroke of the paddle. Now we were to return, like the voyager in the play, and see what rearrangements fortune had perfected the while in our surroundings; what surprises stood ready made for us at home; and whither and how far the world had voyaged in our absence. You may paddle all day long; but it is when you come back at nightfall, and look in at the familiar room, that you find Love or Death awaiting you beside the stove; and the most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek.

End

同类推荐
  • 颜元集

    颜元集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Concerning Letters

    Concerning Letters

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 女范编

    女范编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 略述金刚顶瑜伽分别圣位修证法门

    略述金刚顶瑜伽分别圣位修证法门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 六十种曲八义记

    六十种曲八义记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 盛世帝后江山行

    盛世帝后江山行

    她,两度为后,翻手云覆手雨,曾权势滔天;她,先为废太子妃,历经十数年颠沛流离,后惨死宫中,罪名不堪。一朝醒来,董香云发觉自己初回豆蔻年华,那时,她尚待字闺中无人识,满身的沁人心香还未显,那个最爱她的他还未循香而遇……一切还来得及,她的恨,她的憾,还有他的爱,这一回她要牢牢抓住。决不辜负老天让她重活一回!
  • 神奇宝贝之雨夜

    神奇宝贝之雨夜

    搞同人。想着一本搞定我曾经所有的想法,但是估计八成要有变数,咳咳咳,离题了。这本小说以神奇宝贝为平台主要写倒霉学生完成穿越梦。目标是神奇宝贝大师!!!!
  • 南迁录

    南迁录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 送裴相公赴镇太原

    送裴相公赴镇太原

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 吃定小青梅

    吃定小青梅

    她是浴火重生的天骄之女,他发誓守候在她身旁的帝都太子爷,她在他的守护下恣意张扬,他看向她永远满眼宠溺,他的原则是什么?他的原则是:白浅菲说的都对,白浅菲做的都好,白浅菲永远都是对的
  • 巨大灵

    巨大灵

    在村子里很多人死了。偶尔说起来,就说谁家爹、谁家妈、谁家弟兄姐妹死了。就像死的人无名无姓。死很久的,有个就叫褚文进的跛子,死在打鬼子那会儿。天不怕地不怕,领着几个村里人去摸炮楼,进去了就没再出来。其他的人叫什么,不记得了。不像褚文进有大号。叫大毛二毛,叫三黑四黑的村里人多了。说大毛二毛三黑四黑死了,活的人忌讳。没大号的,理应被人遗忘。褚文进俨然成了孤胆英雄,要忘记就似乎有了难度。这是有大号的好处。再进一步说,是有文化的好处。
  • 乱了浮生凉了夏

    乱了浮生凉了夏

    他,十恶不赦,她,聪明狠绝,处处是错的纠缠,程少的深情感天动地,她却只想送他入地狱。
  • 一叶障目

    一叶障目

    她四处探头寻找刚才看见的刘晓瑜的人影,却寻不见踪迹。
  • 宝贝归来,傲娇麻麻腹黑爹

    宝贝归来,傲娇麻麻腹黑爹

    秦楚楚在结婚前,遇“渣男”出轨,带着孩子跑路了。几年后,她重新归来,为了报复陌寒,用了他教给她的一切设计他,结果某男人潇洒的签下了自己的名字,并将他压在了墙角,“楚楚,只要你要,只要我有,都给你,别离开我,好吗?”在秦楚楚没说话的时候,一只小包子出来了,“你个老男人,欺负我麻麻没男人吗?虽然我粑粑的坟头的草已经很高了……”陌寒看到了和自己那么像的小包子,咬牙切齿,“楚楚……”……男强女强,打渣渣,欢脱甜宠
  • 幼学琼林(中华国学经典)

    幼学琼林(中华国学经典)

    中国传统文化博大精深,包罗万象,远不是一本书所能囊括的。本丛书只是选取其中部分内容分门别类进行介绍。我们约请的作者,都是各个领域的专业研究者,每一篇简短的文字背后其实都有多年的积累,他们努力使这些文字深入浅出而严谨准确。与此同时,我们给一些文字选配了图片,使读者形成更加直观的印象。无论您是什么学历,无论您是什么年龄,无论您从事的是什么职业,只要您是中国传统文化的爱好者,您都可以从本书中获得您想要的。