And when he went off he left the unhappy Morange in the charge of
Seraphine, who now treated him like a little ailing child whose
will-power was entirely gone.
And at Chantebled, as time went on, Mathieu and Marianne founded,
created, increased, and multiplied. During the two years which elapsed,
they again proved victorious in the eternal battle which life wages
against death, thanks to that continual increase both of offspring and of
fertile land which was like their very existence, their joy, and their
strength. Desire passed like a gust of flame--desire divine and fruitful,
since they possessed the power of love, kindliness, and health. And their
energy did the rest--that will of action, that quiet bravery in the
presence of the labor that is necessary, the labor that has made and that
regulates the world. They were, however, still in the hard, trying,
earlier stage of their work of conquest, and they often wept with grief
and anxiety. Many were their cares, too, in transforming the old pavilion
into a farm. The outlay was considerable, and at times it seemed as if
the crops would never pay the building accounts. Moreover, as the
enterprise grew in magnitude, and there came more and more cattle, more
and more horses, a larger staff of both men and girls became necessary,
to say nothing of additional implements and appliances, and the increase
of supervision which left the Froments little rest.
Pages:
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351