elizabeth and her german garden-第1部分

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Elizabeth　and　her　German　Garden

by　〃Elizabeth〃　＇Marie　Annette　Beauchamp＇



May　7th。I　love　my　garden。　　I　am　writing　in　it　now　in　the　late　afternoon　loveliness；　much　interrupted　by　the　mosquitoes　and　the　temptation　to　look　at　all　the　glories　of　the　new　green　leaves　washed　half　an　hour　ago　in　a　cold　shower。　Two　owls　are　perched　near　me；　and　are　carrying　on　a　long　conversation　that　I　enjoy　as　much　as　any　warbling　of　nightingales。　The　gentleman　owl　says　＇＇musical　notes　occur　here　in　the　printed　text＇＇；　and　she　answers　from　her　tree　a　little　way　off；　＇＇musical　notes＇＇；　beautifully　assenting　to　and　completing　her　lord's　remark；　as　becomes　a　properly　constructed　German　she…owl。　They　say　the　same　thing　over　and　over　again　so　emphatically　that　I　think　it　must　be　something　nasty　about　me；　but　I　shall　not　let　myself　be　frightened　away　by　the　sarcasm　of　owls。

This　is　less　a　garden　than　a　wilderness。　　No　one　has　lived　in　the　house；　much　less　in　the　garden；　for　twenty…five　years；　and　it　is　such　a　pretty　old　place　that　the　people　who　might　have　lived　here　and　did　not；　deliberately　preferring　the　horrors　of　a　flat　in　a　town；　must　have　belonged　to　that　vast　number　of　eyeless　and　earless　persons　of　whom　the　world　seems　chiefly　composed。　Noseless　too；　though　it　does　not　sound　pretty；　but　the　greater　part　of　my　spring　happiness　is　due　to　the　scent　of　the　wet　earth　and　young　leaves。

I　am　always　happy　（out　of　doors　be　it　understood；　for　indoors　there　are　servants　and　furniture）　but　in　quite　different　ways；　and　my　spring　happiness　bears　no　resemblance　to　my　summer　or　autumn　happiness；　though　it　is　not　more　intense；　and　there　were　days　last　winter　when　I　danced　for　sheer　joy　out　in　my　frost…bound　garden；　in　spite　of　my　years　and　children。　But　I　did　it　behind　a　bush；　having　a　due　regard　for　the　decencies。

There　are　so　many　bird…cherries　round　me；　great　trees　with　branches　sweeping　the　grass；　and　they　are　so　wreathed　just　now　with　white　blossoms　and　tenderest　green　that　the　garden　looks　like　a　wedding。　I　never　saw　such　masses　of　them；　they　seemed　to　fill　the　place。　Even　across　a　little　stream　that　bounds　the　garden　on　the　east；　and　right　in　the　middle　of　the　cornfield　beyond；　there　is　an　immense　one；　a　picture　of　grace　and　glory　against　the　cold　blue　of　the　spring　sky。

My　garden　is　surrounded　by　cornfields　and　meadows；　and　beyond　are　great　stretches　of　sandy　heath　and　pine　forests；　and　where　the　forests　leave　off　the　bare　heath　begins　again；　but　the　forests　are　beautiful　in　their　lofty；　pink…stemmed　vastness；　far　overhead　the　crowns　of　softest　gray…green；　and　underfoot　a　bright　green　wortleberry　carpet；　and　everywhere　the　breathless　silence；　and　the　bare　heaths　are　beautiful　too；　for　one　can　see　across　them　into　eternity　almost；　and　to　go　out　on　to　them　with　one's　face　towards　the　setting　sun　is　like　going　into　the　very　presence　of　God。

In　the　middle　of　this　plain　is　the　oasis　of　birdcherries　and　greenery　where　I　spend　my　happy　days；　and　in　the　middle　of　the　oasis　is　the　gray　stone　house　with　many　gables　where　I　pass　my　reluctant　nights。　The　house　is　very　old；　and　has　been　added　to　at　various　times。　It　was　a　convent　before　the　Thirty　Years'　War；　and　the　vaulted　chapel；　with　its　brick　floor　worn　by　pious　peasant　knees；　is　now　used　as　a　hall。　Gustavus　Adolphus　and　his　Swedes　passed　through　more　than　once；　as　is　duly　recorded　in　archives　still　preserved；　for　we　are　on　what　was　then　the　high…road　between　Sweden　and　Brandenburg　the　unfortunate。　The　Lion　of　the　North　was　no　doubt　an　estimable　person　and　acted　wholly　up　to　his　convictions；　but　he　must　have　sadly　upset　the　peaceful　nuns；　who　were　not　without　convictions　of　their　own；　sending　them　out　on　to　the　wide；　empty　plain　to　piteously　seek　some　life　to　replace　the　life　of　silence　here。

From　nearly　all　the　windows　of　the　house　I　can　look　out　across　the　plain；　with　no　obstacle　in　the　shape　of　a　hill；　right　away　to　a　blue　line　of　distant　forest；　and　on　the　west　side　uninterruptedly　to　the　setting　sunnothing　but　a　green；　rolling　plain；　with　a　sharp　edge　against　the　sunset。　I　love　those　west　windows　better　than　any　others；　and　have　chosen　my　bedroom　on　that　side　of　the　house　so　that　even　times　of　hair…brushing　may　not　be　entirely　lost；　and　the　young　woman　who　attends　to　such　matters　has　been　taught　to　fulfil　her　duties　about　a　mistress　recumbent　in　an　easychair　before　an　open　window；　and　not　to　profane　with　chatter　that　sweet　and　solemn　time。　This　girl　is　grieved　at　my　habit　of　living　almost　in　the　garden；　and　all　her　ideas　as　to　the　sort　of　life　a　respectable　German　lady　should　lead　have　got　into　a　sad　muddle　since　she　came　to　me。　The　people　round　about　are　persuaded　that　I　am；　to　put　it　as　kindly　as　possible；　exceedingly　eccentric；　for　the　news　has　travelled　that　I　spend　the　day　out　of　doors　with　a　book；　and　that　no　mortal　eye　has　ever　yet　seen　me　sew　or　cook。　But　why　cook　when　you　can　get　some　one　to　cook　for　you？　And　as　for　sewing；　the　maids　will　hem　the　sheets　better　and　quicker　than　I　could；　and　all　forms　of　needlework　of　the　fancy　order　are　inventions　of　the　evil　one　for　keeping　the　foolish　from　applying　their　heart　to　wisdom。

We　had　been　married　five　years　before　it　struck　us　that　we　might　as　well　make　use　of　this　place　by　coming　down　and　living　in　it。　　Those　five　years　were　spent　in　a　flat　in　a　town；　and　during　their　whole　interminable　length　I　was　perfectly　miserable　and　perfectly　healthy；　which　disposes　of　the　ugly　notion　that　has　at　times　disturbed　me　that　my　happiness　here　is　less　due　to　the　garden　than　to　a　good　digestion。　And　while　we　were　wasting　our　lives　there；　here　was　this　dear　place　with　dandelions　up　to　the　very　door；　all　the　paths　grass…grown　and　completely　effaced；　in　winter　so　lonely；　with　nobody　but　the　north　wind　taking　the　least　notice　of　it；　and　in　Mayin　all　those　five　lovely　Mays　no　one　to　look　at　the　wonderful　bird…cherries　and　still　more　wonderful　masses　of　lilacs；　everything　glowing　and　blowing；　the　virginia　creeper　madder　every　year；　until　at　last；　in　October；　the　very　roof　was　wreathed　with　blood…red　tresses；　the　owls　and　the　squirrels　and　all　the　blessed　little　birds　reigning　supreme；　and　not　a　living　creature　ever　entering　the　empty　house　except　the　snakes；　which　got　into　the　habit　during　those　silent　years　of　wriggling　up　the　south　wall　into　the　rooms　on　that　side　whenever　the　old　housekeeper　opened　the　windows。　All　that　was　here；peace；　and　happiness；　and　a　reasonable　life；　and　yet　it　never　struck　me　to　come　and　live　in　it。　Looking　back　I　am　astonished；　and　can　in　no　way　account　for　the　tardiness　of　my　discovery　that　here；　in　this　far…away　corner；　was　my　kingdom　of　heaven。　　Indeed；　so　little　did　it　enter　my　head　to　even　use　the　place　in　summer；　that　I　submitted　to　weeks　of　seaside　life　with　all　its　horrors　every　year；　until　at　last；　in　the　early　spring　of　last　year；　having　come　down　for　the　opening　of　the　village　school；　and　wandering　out　afterwards　into　the　bare　and　desolate　garden；　I　don't　know　what　smell　of　wet　earth　or　rotting　leaves　brought　back　my　childhood　with　a　rush　and　all　the　happy　days　I　had　spent　in　a　garden。　Shall　I　ever　forget　that　day？　　It　was　the　beginning　of　my　real　life；　my　coming　of　age　as　it　were；　and　entering　into　my　kingdom。　Early　March；　gray；　quiet　skies；　and　brown；　quiet　earth；　leafless　and　sad　and　lonely　enough　out　there　in　the　damp　and　silence；　yet　there　I　stood　feeling　the　same　rapture　of　pure　delight　in　the　first　breath　of　spring　that　I　used　to　as　a　child；　and　the　five　wasted　years　fell　from　me　like　a　cloak；　and　the　world　was　full　of　hope；　and　I　vowed　myself　then　and　there　to　nature；　and　have　been　happy　ever　since。

My　other　half　being　indulgent；　and　with　some　faint　thought　perhaps　that　it　might　be　as　well　to　look　after　the　place；　consented　to　live　in　it　at　any　rate　for　a　time；　whereupon　followed　six　specially　blissful　weeks　from　the　end　of　April　into　June；　during　which　I　was　here　alone；　supposed　to　be　superintending　the　painting　and　papering；　but　as　a　matter　of　fact　only　going　into　the　house　when　the　workmen　had　gone　out　of　it。

How　happy　I　was！　　I　don't　remember　any　time　quite　so　perfect　since　the　days　when　I　was　too　little　to　do　lessons　and　was　turned　out　with　sugar　on　my　eleven　o'clock　bread　and　butter　on　to　a　lawn　closely　strewn　with　dandelions　and　daisies。　The　sugar　on　the　bread　and　butter　has　lost　its　charm；　but　I　love　the　dandelions　and　daisies　even　more　passionately　now　than　then；　and　never　would　endure　to　see　them　all　mown　away　if　I　were　not　certain　that　in　a　day　or　two　they　would　be　pushing　up　their　little　faces　again　as　jauntily　as　ever。　During　those　six　weeks　I　lived　in　a　world　of　dandelions　and　delights。　　The　dandelions　carpeted　the　three　lawns；　they　used　to　be　lawns；　but　have　long　since　blossomed　out　into　meadows　filled　with　every　sort　of　pretty　weed；　and　under　and　among　the　groups　of　leafless　oaks　and　beeches　were　blue　hepaticas；　white　anemones；　violets；　and　celandines　in　sheets。　The　celandines　in　particular　delighted　me　with　their　clean；　happy　brightness；　so　beautifully　trim　and　newly　varnished；　as　though　they　too　had　had　the　painters　at　work　on　them。　Then；　when　the　anemones　went；　came　a　few　stray　periwinkles　and　Solomon's　Seal；　and　all　the　birdcherries　blossomed　in　a　burst。　And　then；　before　I　had　a　little　got　used　to　the　joy　of　their　flowers　against　the　sky；　came　the　lilacsmasses　and　masses　of　them；　in　clumps　on　the　grass；　with　other　shrubs　and　trees　by　the　side　of　walks；　and　one　great　continuous　bank　of　them　half　a　mile　long　right　past　the　west　front　of　the　house；　away　down　as　far　as　one　could　see；　shining　glorious　against　a　background　of　firs。　　When　that　time　came；　and　when；　before　it　was　over；　the　acacias　all　blossomed　too；　and　four　great　clumps　of　pale；　silvery…pink　peonies　flowered　under　the　south　windows；　I　felt　so　absolutely　happy；　and　blest；　and　thankful；　and　grateful；　that　I　really　cannot　describe　it。　My　days　seemed　to　melt　away　in　a　dream　of　pink　and　purple　peace。

There　were　only　the　old　housekeeper　and　her　handmaiden　in　the　house；　so　that　on　the　plea　of　not　giving　too　much　trouble　I　could　indulge　what　my　other　half　calls　my　_fantaisie_　_dereglee_　as　regards　meals　that　is　to　say；　meals　so　simple　that　they　could　be　brought　out　to　the　lilacs　on　a　tray；　and　I　lived；　I　remember；　on　salad　and　bread　a