If in spite of terrible cares they had always
conquered, it was because their love, their toil, the ceaseless travail
of their heart and will, gave them the victory. Fruitfulness is the great
conqueress; from her come the pacific heroes who subjugate the world by
peopling it. And this time especially, when at the lapse of those two
years Marianne gave birth to a boy, Nicolas, her eleventh child, Mathieu
embraced her passionately, triumphing over every sorrow and every pang.
Yet another child; yet more wealth and power; yet an additional force
born into the world; another field ready for to-morrow's harvest.
And 'twas ever the great work, the good work, the work of fruitfulness
spreading, thanks to the earth and thanks to woman, both victorious over
destruction, offering fresh means of subsistence each time a fresh child
was born, and loving, willing, battling, toiling even amid suffering, and
ever tending to increase of life and increase of hope.
XV
AMID the deep mourning life slowly resumed its course at the Beauchene
works. One effect of the terrible blow which had fallen on Beauchene was
that for some weeks he remained quietly at home.
Pages:
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432