the country doctor-第7章

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fe　of　any　man　who　endeavored　to　bring　them　about。　Here；　as　in　other　social　spheres；　if　any　good　is　to　be　done；　we　come　into　collision　not　merely　with　vested　interests；　but　with　something　far　more　dangerous　to　meddle　withreligious　ideas　crystallized　into　superstitions；　the　most　permanent　form　taken　by　human　thought。　I　feared　nothing。

〃In　the　first　place；　I　sought　for　the　position　of　mayor　in　the　canton；　and　in　this　I　succeeded。　Then；　after　obtaining　a　verbal　sanction　from　the　prefect；　and　by　paying　down　the　money；　I　had　several　of　these　unfortunate　creatures　transported　over　to　Aiguebelle；　in　Savoy；　by　night。　There　are　a　great　many　of　them　there；　and　they　were　certain　to　be　very　kindly　treated。　When　this　act　of　humanity　came　to　be　known；　the　whole　countryside　looked　upon　me　as　a　monster。　The　cure　preached　against　me。　In　spite　of　all　the　pains　I　took　to　explain　to　all　the　shrewder　heads　of　the　little　place　the　immense　importance　of　being　rid　of　the　idiots；　and　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　I　gave　my　services　gratuitously　to　the　sick　people　of　the　district；　a　shot　was　fired　at　me　from　the　corner　of　a　wood。

〃I　went　to　the　Bishop　of　Grenoble　and　asked　him　to　change　the　cure。　Monseigneur　was　good　enough　to　allow　me　to　choose　a　priest　who　would　share　in　my　labors；　and　it　was　my　happy　fortune　to　meet　with　one　of　those　rare　natures　that　seemed　to　have　dropped　down　from　heaven。　Then　I　went　on　with　my　enterprise。　After　preparing　people's　minds；　I　made　another　transportation　by　night；　and　six　more　cretins　were　taken　away。　In　this　second　attempt　I　had　the　support　of　several　people　to　whom　I　had　rendered　some　service；　and　I　was　backed　by　the　members　of　the　Communal　Council；　for　I　had　appealed　to　their　parsimonious　instincts；　showing　them　how　much　it　cost　to　support　the　poor　wretches；　and　pointing　out　how　largely　they　might　gain　by　converting　their　plots　of　ground　（to　which　the　idiots　had　no　proper　title）　into　allotments　which　were　needed　in　the　township。

〃All　the　rich　were　on　my　side；　but　the　poor；　the　old　women；　the　children；　and　a　few　pig…headed　people　were　violently　opposed　to　me。　Unluckily　it　so　fell　out　that　my　last　removal　had　not　been　completely　carried　out。　The　cretin　whom　you　have　just　seen；　not　having　returned　to　his　house；　had　not　been　taken　away；　so　that　the　next　morning　he　was　the　sole　remaining　example　of　his　species　in　the　village。　There　were　several　families　still　living　there；　but　though　they　were　little　better　than　idiots；　they　were；　at　any　rate；　free　from　the　taint　of　cretinism。　I　determined　to　go　through　with　my　work；　and　came　officially　in　open　day　to　take　the　luckless　creature　from　his　dwelling。　I　had　no　sooner　left　my　house　than　my　intention　got　abroad。　The　cretin's　friends　were　there　before　me；　and　in　front　of　his　hovel　I　found　a　crowd　of　women　and　children　and　old　people；　who　hailed　my　arrival　with　insults　accompanied　by　a　shower　of　stones。

〃In　the　midst　of　the　uproar　I　should　perhaps　have　fallen　a　victim　to　the　frenzy　that　possesses　a　crowd　excited　by　its　own　outcries　and　stirred　up　by　one　common　feeling；　but　the　cretin　saved　my　life！　The　poor　creature　came　out　of　his　hut；　and　raised　the　clucking　sound　of　his　voice。　He　seemed　to　be　an　absolute　ruler　over　the　fanatical　mob；　for　the　sight　of　him　put　a　sudden　stop　to　the　clamor。　It　occurred　to　me　that　I　might　arrange　a　compromise；　and　thanks　to　the　quiet　so　opportunely　restored；　I　was　able　to　propose　and　explain　it。　Of　course；　those　who　approved　of　my　schemes　would　not　dare　to　second　me　in　this　emergency；　their　support　was　sure　to　be　of　a　purely　passive　kind；　while　these　superstitious　folk　would　exert　the　most　active　vigilance　to　keep　their　last　idol　among　them；　it　was　impossible；　it　seemed　to　me；　to　take　him　away　from　them。　So　I　promised　to　leave　the　cretin　in　peace　in　his　dwelling；　with　the　understanding　that　he　should　live　quite　by　himself；　and　that　the　remaining　families　in　the　village　should　cross　the　stream　and　come　to　live　in　the　town；　in　some　new　houses　which　I　myself　undertook　to　build；　adding　to　each　house　a　piece　of　ground　for　which　the　Commune　was　to　repay　me　later　on。

〃Well；　my　dear　sir；　it　took　me　fully　six　months　to　overcome　their　objection　to　this　bargain；　however　much　it　may　have　been　to　the　advantage　of　the　village　families。　The　affection　which　they　have　for　their　wretched　hovels　in　country　districts　is　something　quite　unexplainable。　No　matter　how　unwholesome　his　hovel　may　be；　a　peasant　clings　far　more　to　it　than　a　banker　does　to　his　mansion。　The　reason　of　it？　That　I　do　not　know。　Perhaps　thoughts　and　feelings　are　strongest　in　those　who　have　but　few　of　them；　simply　because　they　have　but　few。　Perhaps　material　things　count　for　much　in　the　lives　of　those　who　live　so　little　in　thought；　certain　it　is　that　the　less　they　have；　the　dearer　their　possessions　are　to　them。　Perhaps；　too；　it　is　with　the　peasant　as　with　the　prisoner　he　does　not　squander　the　powers　of　his　soul；　he　centres　them　all　upon　a　single　idea；　and　this　is　how　his　feelings　come　to　be　so　exceedingly　strong。　Pardon　these　reflections　on　the　part　of　a　man　who　seldom　exchanges　ideas　with　any　one。　But；　indeed；　you　must　not　suppose；　sir；　that　I　am　much　taken　up　with　these　far…fetched　considerations。　We　all　have　to　be　active　and　practical　here。

〃Alas！　the　fewer　ideas　these　poor　folk　have　in　their　heads；　the　harder　it　is　to　make　them　see　where　their　real　interests　lie。　There　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　give　my　whole　attention　to　every　trifling　detail　of　my　enterprise。　One　and　all　made　me　the　same　answer；　one　of　those　sayings；　filled　with　homely　sense；　to　which　there　is　no　possible　reply；　'But　your　houses　are　not　yet　built；　sir！'　they　used　to　say。　'Very　good；'　said　I；　'promise　me　that　as　soon　as　they　are　finished　you　will　come　and　live　in　them。'

〃Luckily；　sir；　I　obtained　a　decision　to　the　effect　that　the　whole　of　the　mountain　side　above　the　now　deserted　village　was　the　property　of　the　township。　The　sum　of　money　brought　in　by　the　woods　on　the　higher　slopes　paid　for　the　building　of　the　new　houses　and　for　the　land　on　which　they　stood。　They　were　built　forthwith；　and　when　once　one　of　my　refractory　families　was　fairly　settled　in；　the　rest　of　them　were　not　slow　to　follow。　The　benefits　of　the　change　were　so　evident　that　even　the　most　bigoted　believer　in　the　village；　which　you　might　call　soulless　as　well　as　sunless；　could　not　but　appreciate　them。　The　final　decision　in　this　matter；　which　gave　some　property　to　the　Commune；　in　the　possession　of　which　we　were　confirmed　by　the　Council　of　State；　made　me　a　person　of　great　importance　in　the　canton。　But　what　a　lot　of　worry　there　was　over　it！〃　the　doctor　remarked；　stopping　short；　and　raising　a　hand　which　he　let　fall　againa　gesture　that　spoke　volumes。　〃No　one　knows；　as　I　do；　the　distance　between　the　town　and　the　Prefecturewhence　nothing　comes　outand　from　the　Prefecture　to　the　Council　of　Statewhere　nothing　can　be　got　in。

〃Well；　after　all；〃　he　resumed；　〃peace　be　to　the　powers　of　this　world！　They　yielded　to　my　importunities；　and　that　is　saying　a　great　deal。　If　you　only　knew　the　good　that　came　of　a　carelessly　scrawled　signature！　Why；　sir；　two　years　after　I　had　taken　these　momentous　trifles　in　hand；　and　had　carried　the　matter　through　to　the　end；　every　poor　family　in　the　Commune　had　two　cows　at　least；　which　they　pastured　on　the　mountain　side；　where　（without　waiting　this　time　for　an　authorization　from　the　Council　of　State）　I　had　established　a　system　of　irrigation　by　means　of　cross　trenches；　like　those　in　Switzerland；　Auvergne；　and　Limousin。　Much　to　their　astonishment；　the　townspeople　saw　some　capital　meadows　springing　up　under　their　eyes；　and　thanks　to　the　improvement　in　the　pasturage；　the　yield　of　milk　was　very　much　larger。　The　results　of　this　triumph　were　great　indeed。　Every　one　followed　the　example　set　by　my　system　of　irrigation；　cattle　were　multiplied；　the　area　of　meadow　land　and　every　kind　of　out…turn　increased。　I　had　nothing　to　fear　after　that。　I　could　continue　my　efforts　to　improve　this；　as　yet；　untilled　corner　of　the　earth；　and　to　civilize　those　who　dwelt　in　it；　whose　minds　had　hitherto　lain　dormant。

〃Well；　sir；　folk　like　us；　who　live　out　of　the　world；　are　very　talkative。　If　you　ask　us　a　question；　there　is　no　knowing　where　the　answer　will　come　to　an　end；　but　t