The Tragic Comedians: A Study in a Well-known Story — Volume 3 — John Shaqi
The Tragic Comedians: A Study in a Well-known Story — Volume 3Meredith, George
General
The Tragic Comedians: A Study in a Well-known Story — Volume 3
Meredith, George
English fiction -- 19th century; Lassalle, Ferdinand, 1825-1864 -- Fiction
Singularly small indeed the other aims in life appeared by comparison
with this one, but his intellect, in the act of pleading excuses for his
impatience, distinguished why it should be so. The crust, which is not
much, is everything to the starving beggar; and he was eager for the
crust that he might become sound and whole again, able to give their just
proportion to things, as at present he acknowledged himself hardly able
to do. He could not pursue two thoughts on a political question, or
grasp the idea of a salutary energy in the hosts animated by his
leadership. There would have to be an end of it speedily, else men might
name him worthless dog!
Morning swam on the lake in her beautiful nakedness, a wedding of white
and blue, of purest white and bluest blue. Alvan crossed the island
bridges when the sun had sprung on his shivering fair prey, to make the
young fresh Morning rosy, and was glittering along the smooth lake-
waters. Workmen only were abroad, and Alvan was glad to be out with them
to feel with them as one of them. Close beside him the vivid genius of
the preceding century, whose love of workmen was a salt of heaven in his
human corruptness, looked down on the lake in marble. Alvan cherished a
worship of him as of one that had first thrilled him with the feeling of
our common humanity, with the tenderness for the poor, with the knowledge
of our frailty. Him, as well as the great Englishman and a Frenchman,
his mind called Father, and his conscience replied to that progenitor's
questioning of him, but said 'You know the love of woman: He loved
indeed, but he was not an amatory trifler. He too was a worker, a
champion worker. He doated on the prospect of plunging into his work;
the vision of jolly giant labours told of peace obtained, and there could
be no peace without his prize.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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