the country doctor-第13章

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n　their　predecessors　had　done。　One　of　the　heads　of　these　two　new　households　started　a　distillery　of　potato…spirit；　and　the　other　was　a　wool…washer；　each　combined　these　occupations　with　his　official　work；　and　in　this　way　two　valuable　industries　were　created　among　us。

〃Now　that　the　Commune　had　some　revenues　of　its　own；　no　opposition　was　raised　in　any　quarter　when　they　were　spent　on　building　a　town…hall；　with　a　free　school　for　elementary　education　in　the　building　and　accommodation　for　a　teacher。　For　this　important　post　I　had　selected　a　poor　priest　who　had　taken　the　oath；　and　had　therefore　been　cast　out　by　the　department；　and　who　at　last　found　a　refuge　among　us　for　his　old　age。　The　schoolmistress　is　a　very　worthy　woman　who　had　lost　all　that　she　had；　and　was　in　great　distress。　We　made　up　a　nice　little　sum　for　her；　and　she　has　just　opened　a　boarding…school　for　girls　to　which　the　wealthy　farmers　hereabouts　are　beginning　to　send　their　daughters。

〃If　so　far；　sir；　I　have　been　entitled　to　tell　you　the　story　of　my　own　doings　as　the　chronicle　of　this　little　spot　of　earth；　I　have　reached　the　point　where　M。　Janvier；　the　new　parson；　began　to　divide　the　work　of　regeneration　with　me。　He　has　been　a　second　Fenelon；　unknown　beyond　the　narrow　limits　of　a　country　parish；　and　by　some　secret　of　his　own　has　infused　a　spirit　of　brotherliness　and　of　charity　among　these　folk　that　has　made　them　almost　like　one　large　family。　M。　Dufau；　the　justice　of　the　peace；　was　a　late　comer；　but　he　in　an　equal　degree　deserves　the　gratitude　of　the　people　here。

〃I　will　put　the　whole　position　before　you　in　figures　that　will　make　it　clearer　than　any　words　of　mine。　At　this　moment　the　Commune　owns　two　hundred　acres　of　woodland；　and　a　hundred　and　sixty　acres　of　meadow。　Without　running　up　the　rates；　we　give　a　hundred　crowns　to　supplement　the　cure's　stipend；　we　pay　two　hundred　francs　to　the　rural　policeman；　and　as　much　again　to　the　schoolmaster　and　schoolmistress。　The　maintenance　of　the　roads　costs　us　five　hundred　francs；　while　necessary　repairs　to　the　townhall；　the　parsonage；　and　the　church；　with　some　few　other　expenses；　also　amount　to　a　similar　sum。　In　fifteen　years'　time　there　will　be　a　thousand　francs　worth　of　wood　to　fell　for　every　hundred　francs'　worth　cut　now；　and　the　taxes　will　not　cost　the　inhabitants　a　penny。　This　Commune　is　bound　to　become　one　of　the　richest　in　France。　But　perhaps　I　am　taxing　your　patience；　sir？〃　said　Benassis；　suddenly　discovering　that　his　companion　wore　such　a　pensive　expression　that　it　seemed　as　though　his　attention　was　wandering。

〃No！　no！〃　answered　the　commandant。

〃Our　trade；　handicrafts；　and　agriculture　so　far　only　supplied　the　needs　of　the　district；〃　the　doctor　went　on。　〃At　a　certain　point　our　prosperity　came　to　a　standstill。　I　wanted　a　post…office；　and　sellers　of　tobacco；　stationery；　powder　and　shot。　The　receiver　of　taxes　had　hitherto　preferred　to　live　elsewhere；　but　now　I　succeeded　in　persuading　him　to　take　up　his　abode　in　the　town；　holding　out　as　inducements　the　pleasantness　of　the　place　and　of　the　new　society。　As　time　and　place　permitted　I　had　succeeded　in　producing　a　supply　of　everything　for　which　I　had　first　created　a　need；　in　attracting　families　of　hardworking　people　into　the　district；　and　in　implanting　a　desire　to　own　land　in　them　all。　So　by　degrees；　as　they　saved　a　little　money；　the　waste　land　began　to　be　broken　up；　spade　husbandry　and　small　holdings　increased；　so　did　the　value　of　property　on　the　mountain。

〃Those　struggling　folk　who；　when　I　knew　them　first；　used　to　walk　over　to　Grenoble　carrying　their　few　cheeses　for　sale；　now　made　the　journey　comfortably　in　a　cart；　and　took　fruit；　eggs；　chickens　and　turkeys；　and　before　they　were　aware　of　it；　everyone　was　a　little　richer。　Even　those　who　came　off　worst　had　a　garden　at　any　rate；　and　grew　early　vegetables　and　fruit。　It　became　the　children's　work　to　watch　the　cattle　in　the　fields；　and　at　last　it　was　found　to　be　a　waste　of　time　to　bake　bread　at　home。　Here　were　signs　of　prosperity！

〃But　if　this　place　was　to　be　a　permanent　forge　of　industry；　fuel　must　be　constantly　added　to　the　fire。　The　town　had　not　as　yet　a　renascent　industry　which　could　maintain　this　commercial　process；　an　industry　which　should　make　great　transactions；　a　warehouse；　and　a　market　necessary。　It　is　not　enough　that　a　country　should　lose　none　of　the　money　that　forms　its　capital；　you　will　not　increase　its　prosperity　by　more　or　less　ingenious　devices　for　causing　this　amount　to　circulate；　by　means　of　production　and　consumption；　through　the　greatest　possible　number　of　hands。　That　is　not　where　your　problem　lies。　When　a　country　is　fully　developed　and　its　production　keeps　pace　with　its　consumption；　if　private　wealth　is　to　increase　as　well　as　the　wealth　of　the　community　at　large；　there　must　be　exchanges　with　other　communities；　which　will　keep　a　balance　on　the　right　side　of　the　balance…sheet。　This　thought　has　let　states　with　a　limited　territorial　basis　like　Tyre；　Carthage；　Venice；　Holland；　and　England；　for　instance；　to　secure　the　carrying　trade。　I　cast　about　for　some　such　notion　as　this　to　apply　to　our　little　world；　so　as　to　inaugurate　a　third　commercial　epoch。　Our　town　is　so　much　like　any　other；　that　our　prosperity　was　scarcely　visible　to　a　passing　stranger；　it　was　only　for　me　that　it　was　astonishing。　The　folk　had　come　together　by　degrees；　they　themselves　were　a　part　of　the　change；　and　could　not　judge　of　its　effects　as　a　whole。

〃Seven　years　had　gone　by　when　I　met　with　two　strangers；　the　real　benefactors　of　the　place；　which　perhaps　some　day　they　will　transform　into　a　large　town。　One　of　them　is　a　Tyrolese；　an　exceedingly　clever　fellow；　who　makes　rough　shoes　for　country　people's　wear；　and　boots　for　people　of　fashion　in　Grenoble　as　no　one　can　make　them；　not　even　in　Paris　itself。　He　was　a　poor　strolling　musician；　who；　singing　and　working；　had　made　his　way　through　Italy；　one　of　those　busy　Germans　who　fashion　the　tools　of　their　own　work；　and　make　the　instrument　that　they　play　upon。　When　he　came　to　the　town　he　asked　if　any　one　wanted　a　pair　of　shoes。　They　sent　him　to　me；　and　I　gave　him　an　order　for　two　pairs　of　boots；　for　which　he　made　his　own　lasts。　The　foreigner's　skill　surprised　me。　He　gave　accurate　and　consistent　answers　to　the　questions　I　put；　and　his　face　and　manner　confirmed　the　good　opinion　I　had　formed　of　him。　I　suggested　that　he　should　settle　in　the　place；　undertaking　to　assist　him　in　business　in　every　way　that　I　could；　in　fact；　I　put　a　fairly　large　sum　of　money　at　his　disposal。　He　accepted　my　offer。　I　had　my　own　ideas　in　this。　The　quality　of　our　leather　had　improved；　and　why　should　we　not　use　it　ourselves；　and　before　very　long　make　our　own　shoes　at　moderate　prices？

〃It　was　the　basket…maker's　business　over　again　on　a　larger　scale。　Chance　had　put　an　exceedingly　clever　hard…working　man　in　my　way；　and　he　must　be　retained　so　that　a　steady　and　profitable　trade　might　be　given　to　the　place。　There　is　a　constant　demand　for　foot…gear；　and　a　very　slight　difference　in　price　is　felt　at　once　by　the　purchaser。

〃This　was　my　reasoning；　sir；　and　fortunately　events　have　justified　it。　At　this　time　we　have　five　tanyards；　each　of　which　has　its　bark…mill。　They　take　all　the　hides　produced　in　the　department　itself；　and　even　draw　part　of　their　supply　from　Provence；　and　yet　the　Tyrolese　uses　more　leather　than　they　can　produce；　and　has　forty　work…people　in　his　employ！

〃I　happened　on　the　other　man　after　a　fashion　no　whit　less　strange；　but　you　might　find　the　story　tedious。　He　is　just　an　ordinary　peasant；　who　discovered　a　cheaper　way　of　making　the　great　broad…brimmed　hats　that　are　worn　in　this　part　of　the　world。　He　sells　them　in　other　cantons；　and　even　sends　them　into　Switzerland　and　Savoy。　So　long　as　the　quality　and　the　low　prices　can　be　maintained；　here　are　two　inexhaustible　sources　of　wealth　for　the　canton；　which　suggested　to　my　mind　the　idea　of　establishing　three　fairs　in　the　year。　The　prefect；　amazed　at　our　industrial　progress；　lent　his　aid　in　obtaining　the　royal　ordinance　which　authorized　them；　and　last　year　we　held　our　three　fairs。　They　are　known　as　far　as　Savoy　as　the　Shoe　Fair　and　the　Hat　Fair。

〃The　head　clerk　of　a　notary　in　Grenoble　heard　of　these　changes。　He　was　poor；　but　he　was　a　well…educated；　hardworking　young　fellow；　and　Mll