34 



HOW THE AUTHOR WAS LED TO 



.a^^V-^S^* 



became a fertile text for his religious effusions. With- 

 out formal phrases, and inspired by true feeling, he 

 spoke to me of the goodness of God, for whom there is 

 neither great nor small, but all are brothers in His eyes, 

 and all are equals. 



" Associated with my brothers in their labours, I 

 also took a part in those of my mother and my sister. 

 When I put aside my grammar and arithmetic, it was 

 to take up the needle. 



" Happily for me, our life, naturally blending 

 with that of the fields, was, whether we willed it or 

 not, frequently varied by charming incidents which 

 broke the chains of habit. Study has commenced ; we 

 apply ourselves with eagerness to our books ; but what 

 now ? See, a storm is coming ! the hay will be spoiled. 

 Quick, we must gather it in! Everybody sets to 

 work ; the very .childi^en hasten thither ; study is 

 adjourned ; we toil courageously, and the day goes 

 by. It is a pity, for the rain does not fall ; the 

 storm has lingered on the Bordeaux side ; it will come 

 to-morrow. 



"At harvest-time we frequently diverted ourselves 

 with gleaning. In those grand moments of fi-uition, 

 i^ at once a labour and a festival, all sedentary applica- 

 tion is impossible ; one's thoughts are in the fields. 

 We were constantly escaping out-of-doors, with the 

 lark's swiftness ; we disappeared among the furrows — 

 we little ones concealed by the tall corn, hidden among 

 the forest of ripe ears. 



" It was well understood that during the vintage 

 there was no time to think of study : much needed 



