三颗桃核

(Three Peach Stones) 

observeachild;anyonewilldo.youwillseethatnotadaypassesinwhichhedoesn

otfindsomethingorothertomakehimhappy,thoughhemaybeintearsthenext

moment.thenlookataman;anyoneofuswilldo.youwillnoticethatweeksandm

onthscanpassinwhichdayisgreetedwithnothingmorethanresignation,anden

durewitheverypoliteindifference.indeed,mostmenareasmiserableassinners

,thoughtheyaretooboredtosin-

perhapstheirsinistheirindifference.butitistruethattheysoseldomsmilethatw

hentheydowedonotrecognizetheirface,sodistortedisitfromthefixedmaskwe

takeforgranted.andeventhenamancannotsmilelikeachild,forachildsmileswit

hhiseyes,whereasamansmileswithhislipsalone.itisnotasmile;butagrin;some

thingtodowithhumor,butlittletodowithhappiness.andthen,asanyonecansee

,thereisapoint(butwhocandefinethatpoint?)whenamanbecomesanoldman,

andthenhewillsmileagain.itwouldseemthathappinessissomethingtodowith

simplicity,andthatitistheabilitytoextractpleasureformthesimplestthings-

suchasapeachstone,forinstance.itisobviousthatitisnothingtodowithsuccess.

forsirhenrystewartwascertainlysuccessful.itistwentyyearsagosincehecamed

owntoourvillagefromlondon,andboughtacoupleofoldcottages,whichhehad

knockedintoone.heusedhishouseasweekendrefuge.hewasabarrister.andthe

villagefollowedhisbrilliantcareerwithsomethingalmostamountingtopaterna