The Last Heights 



The first subscription-list was opened by 

 the Normal College of Avignon, and a spe- 

 cial appeal was made to the schoolmasters of 

 Vaucluse and the rest of France. Other ap- 

 peals were addressed to all without distinc- 

 tion, and the subscriptions flowed in from all 

 sides, from scientists and men of letters, 

 priests and schoolmasters, bourgeois and 

 workers in town and country, to whom it was 

 explained that the statue was in honour of 

 one of themselves who had achieved great- 

 ness by his labours. 



He himself, in his modesty, wished all to 

 regard him only as a diligent student. 



" Master," ventured an intimate of the 

 harmas one day, " they are talking of putting 

 up a statue of you close by here." 



" Well, well ! I shall see myself, but shall 

 I recognise myself? I've had so little time 

 for looking at myself! " 



"What inscription would you prefer? " 



" One word: Labor emus" 



What lesson was ever more necessary than 

 this eloquent reminder of the great law of 

 labour ! But this grand old man, who by 

 labour has achieved fame, teaches us yet an- 

 other lesson of even rarer quality. 



Let us hear him confiding his impressions 

 to a friend: "The Mayor of Serignan, it 



375' 



