四季隨筆-the private papers of henry ryecroft(英文版)

第3部分 (第1/7頁)

scullery　wench。　Give　me　the　same　ine　and　I　can　live；　but　I　am　poor　indeed。

You　tell　me　that　money　cannot　buy　the　things　most　precious。　Your　monplace　proves　that　you　have　never　known　the　lack　of　it。　When　I　think　of　all　the　sorrow　and　the　barrenness　that　has　been　wrought　in　my　life　by　want　of　a　few　more　pounds　per　annum　than　I　was　able　to　earn；　I　stand　aghast　at　money's　significance。　What　kindly　joys　have　I　lost；　those　simple　forms　of　happiness　to　which　every　heart　has　claim；　because　of　poverty！　Meetings　with　those　I　loved　made　impossible　year　after　year；　sadness；　misunderstanding；　nay；　cruel　alienation；　arising　from　inability　to　do　the　things　I　wished；　and　which　I　might　have　done　had　a　little　money　helped　me；　endless　instances　of　homely　pleasure　and　contentment　curtailed　or　forbidden　by　narrow　means。　I　have　lost　friends　merely　through　the　constraints　of　my　position；　friends　I　might　have　made　have　remained　strangers　to　me；　solitude　of　the　bitter　kind；　the　solitude　which　is　enforced　at　times　when　mind　or　heart　longs　for　panionship；　often　cursed　my　life　solely　because　I　was　poor。　I　think　it　would　scarce　be　an　exaggeration　to　say　that　there　is　no　moral　good　which　has　not　to　be　paid　for　in　coin　of　the　realm。

〃Poverty；〃　said　Johnson　again；　〃is　so　great　an　evil；　and　pregnant　with　so　much　temptation；　so　much　misery；　that　I　cannot　but　earnestly　enjoin　you　to　avoid　it。〃

For　my　own　part；　I　needed　no　injunction　to　that　effort　of　avoidance。　Many　a　London　garret　knows　how　I　struggled　with　the　unwele　chamber…fellow。　I　marvel　she　did　not　abide　with　me　to　the　end；　it　is　a　sort　of　inconsequence　in　Nature；　and　sometimes　makes　me　vaguely　uneasy　through　nights　of　broken　sleep。

VI

How　many　more　springs　can　I　hope　to　see？　A　sanguine　temper　would　say　ten　o