Das landhaus am Rhein. English

by Berthold Auerbach

  CHAPTER III.

  THE WORLD OUTSIDE.

  The doctor was informed, immediately after dinner, that many patientswere waiting for him, for it was generally known that he dined onSunday here at the villa. He hastily took a cigar from Sonnenkamp, andsaid that Eric must accompany him, as he wished to speak with him. Hesaid this in a positive manner admitting of no refusal.

  After they had turned the corner, the physician extended his hand toEric, saying in a hearty tone,--

  "I am the scholar of your grandfather, and I also knew your father atthe University."

  "I am very glad to hear it; but why did you not tell me that at once?"The doctor looked at him awhile from head to foot, then he laid bothhands on his shoulders, and shaking his head, but in a cordial tone,said,--

  "I have been mistaken in you. I thought that the species idealist haddied out; you are doctor of world-wisdom, but not doctor of worldlywisdom. Dear captain-doctor, what's the need of their knowing yonderhow you and I stand with each other?--So you wish to live with HerrSonnenkamp?"

  "Why not?"

  "The man can't weep if he would, and you--?"

  "Well, and I?"

  "With you the tear-sack is filled at every emotion, as when you spokethere of your father, and of the noble care of the sick--you have atalent for hypochondria."

  Eric was struck. This style of personal criticism was novel to him, butbefore he could reply, the doctor called to the waiting group ofpatients standing at the entrance of the porter's lodge,--

  "I am coming in a moment! Wait here for me, and I'll come back soon,"he said now to Eric, and went up to the group, all of whom took offtheir hats and caps. He spoke with one and another, taking out a blankbook with loose leaves, and writing several prescriptions, with theback of a broad-shouldered man for a desk, and giving to others onlyverbal directions.

  Eric stood in a fixed attitude, and he realized that he was wanting inworldly wisdom, but a deep feeling of happiness took possession of him,that his grandfather and father sent him here a friend. An unknown andinestimable inheritance was awaiting him in all places, like a harvestgathering in from all quarters; he regarded the family and its richpossessions with a different feeling; he was no longer poor.

  The physician, coming back, said with a more cheerful countenance,--

  "I am now free. Count Clodwig has told me about you, but he has givenme a wrong impression of you. Never mind! Every one sees, standing inthe centre of his own horizon, his own rainbow. I wished only to say toyou, that what one--pardon me--what one does for you, is hardly thepayment of interest, for no human being has done more for others thanyour grandfather and your father. Now allow yourself for once toundergo a regular examination. I saw you years ago, when you werecoupled with the prince."

  The doctor receded a step from Eric, and continued,--

  "The crossing of races is a good one. Father, Huguenot,--Mother, pureGerman, real blond, delicate organization,--proper mixture ofnationalities. Come with me into the arbor. Will you allow me a briefand concise diagnosis?"

  Eric smiled; the physician's method of passing him under review andpronouncing verdict upon him seemed extremely odd, but yet he feltattracted.

  Striking off on a twig the ashes from his cigar, the doctor asked,--

  "Can you have intercourse with any one day by day, and not like him, orat least have some regard for him?"

  "I have never tried it, but I think not; and such an intercourseassuredly hurts the soul."

  "I expected this answer. For my part, I say with Lessing, It is betterto live among bad people, than to live apart from everybody. May I askstill another question?"

  But without waiting for a reply, he continued,--

  "Have you ever experienced ingratitude?"

  "I think that I have, as yet, done nothing which deserves gratitude.Especially may we ask, Ought we to lay claim to any thanks, inasmuch aswhat we do in behalf of others, we do, first of all, to secure our ownself-approval."

  "Good, good. Wise already. Yet one thing more. Do you believe innatural depravity, and if you do, since when?"

  "If by depravity you mean the conscious delight in injuring others,then I am no believer in it, for I am convinced that all evil doing isonly a stepping over the limits of a justifiable self-preservation; itis only an excess caused by sophistry or passion. Perhaps the belief indepravity is also merely passion."

  The doctor nodded several times, and then said,--

  "Only one question more. Are you sensitive--vulnerable?"

  "I might perhaps urge your friendly testing as a proof that I am not."

  The doctor threw away the cigar, which he had not wholly smoked up, andsaid,--

  "Excuse me, I was in an error; my final question has another at the endof it. Now to conclude: Are you surprised, when you find simply stupidsome little man or some little woman in fashionable clothes, and withpolished address, and are you willing to take them as simply stupid,without attributing to them principles of action, and a comprehensionof the principles of others?"

  In spite of the evidently friendly intention, Eric's patience wasexhausted; he replied to this, not without some irritation, that he hadbeen through a great many surprising examinations here, but the presentwas the most surprising of all.

  "You will perhaps have some light upon it, by and by," the physiciansaid in a low tone, stealthily pressing Eric's hand, for he sawFraeulein Perini coming along the path, and he went to join her.

  The company at table met again at the fountain, chatted awhile, andthen separated. The priest and the Major invited Eric to call uponthem; the physician asked Sonnenkamp if Eric and Roland might not beallowed to drive with him upon his round of visits. Sonnenkamp appearedstruck that Roland and Eric were linked together in this way, but henodded his assent. Eric and the doctor seated themselves in the opencarriage, and Roland took his seat with the coachman, who gave him thereins.

  The day was bright and full of the fragrance of flowers, bells wereringing, and larks were carolling.

  They drove to a village lying at a distance from the river. From, agarden where the elder was in bloom came the beautiful music of aquartette song, and under a linden in an enclosed place, boys andyouths were engaged in gymnastic sports.

  "O this magnificent German land of ours!" Eric could not refrain fromexclaiming. "This is life! This is our life! To cheer the soul withinspiring song, and the body with brisk motion,--this makes a peoplestrong and noble, and honor and freedom must be theirs! All that isgreat belongs to us, as well as to the classic world."

  The doctor, laying his hand quietly upon Eric's knee, looked him fullin the eye, and then begged him, if he remained here, to make himselfthoroughly acquainted through him with the Rhine life, and not allowhimself to be misled, if he should find much that was repulsive bothinside and outside of the house. "And if you can--I believe you alonecan, if you can't, I give it up--confer upon the boy there, not merelyjoy in what he has, but joy in the great life of the nation and of thecommunity, which now he has not, then you will have accomplishedsomething that is worth living for. But the main point is, while youare doing this, to have no thought of self, and then the blessing willnot fail. This is what I understand by the direction, 'Seek ye firstthe kingdom of God--that is, the life of truth and of love--and allthings shall be added unto you.' Roland," he interrupted himself bycalling, "stop here."

  The doctor got out, and went into a small but neat-looking house; Ericand Roland went to the gymnastic-grounds. They were regarded at firstwith great shyness; but when Eric readily showed a fine-looking youth,who went through some exercise clumsily, how to do it better, and when,stripping off his coat, he swung with agility on the horizontal bar,every one became more familiar. Roland also attempted some of theexercises, without much success, and Eric said that they would practisethem diligently, but it was unfavorable that they would be obliged toengage in them by themselves, for there was much greater animation andexertion
of all the powers, when there was a common emulation.

  A messenger came to call Eric and Roland back to the house where thedoctor had stopped. Just as the physician came out of the house, thechurch-bell tolled; all the bystanders took off their hats, even thedoctor, and he said,--

  "A human being is dead; the man has lived out the term of existence; hewas seventy-two years old, and yet yesterday, on his death-bed, hegained comfort in the recollection of a little deed of beneficence.In the year of the famine, 1817, he was travelling as a journeymancooper over the Lunenburg heath--he continually called it the Hamburgheath--where there was no road; and after several hours he came acrossa wretched hovel, in which were several children crying from hunger.The cooper had some dried eels, and some bread in a tin box. He gaveall to feed the children, and they were happy. 'Mark;' he said to meonly yesterday,--'mark how it does me good, and always rejoices me,that I could at that time feed the children, and perhaps they neverhave forgotten it, that once a stranger appeased their hunger.' Is itnot beautiful that a man can gain solace from a single good deed? Hehas suffered much, and death is a release to him. Yes, my youngfriend, such is the world! There outside all is in bloom, people aresinging, exercising, sporting, and in the meanwhile, a human being isdying--pooh!" he cried, recovering himself, "I have not brought youwith me to make you troubled, Roland; drive the whole length of thevillage to the last house." And turning to Eric, he said,--

  "We are going to see cheerful poverty; you are now to look upon thebright side. The man is a poor vine-dresser; has seven children, foursons and three daughters, and in their poverty they are the merriestpeople to be found anywhere, and the merriest of all is the old father.His real name is Piper; but because he sings with his children andpractises them finely as often as he can get a chance, he is calledSevenpiper."

  They drove to the house; the daughters were sitting before the door,the sons were at the gymnastic-ground. Sevenpiper immediately made hisappearance, and said that his sons should be sent for. The doctor thenasked how things were going with him.

  "Ah, Herr doctor," he replied, in a loud tone, "it is always so; myyoungest always has the best voice." And turning to Roland, he added,--

  "Yes, dear sir, I make my children rich too; each one receives from oneto two hundred songs as an outfit, and if they can't make their waythrough the world with that, then they are good for nothing."

  The sons came, and now a cheerful song was struck up, so that thedoctor and Roland were put into excellent spirits, and Eric, whoquickly caught the tune, sang with them.

  The old man nodded to him, and when the song was ended, said,--

  "Herr, you can sing too, that's a fact."

  The doctor always carried a bottle-case in his carriage, and drawingupon it now, every one became exceedingly merry; and Sevenpiperinformed them, and more particularly Roland, that the best thing in theworld was to be in good health, and make music for one's self.

  The physician took leave, and at evening, Roland and Eric, in a joyousmood, left the house. Sevenpiper's two oldest sons went with them tothe bank of the river, where they unfastened the boat, and rowed to thevilla.

  The water was now very still and clear, and reflected the red glow ofthe sunset-sky. Eric sat by himself in silence, during one of thoseblissful hours when one thinks of nothing, and yet enjoys all. Rolandkept time in rowing with the sons of Sevenpiper; then, without strokeof the oar, they let the boat float, and it glided noiselessly along inthe middle of the stream.

  The stars were glittering in the sky when they arrived at the villa.