第10部分(第4/7 頁)

r　other　of　these。　Not　many　Sundays？　Nay；　that　is　to　exaggerate；　as　one　has　the　habit　of　doing。　Let　me　say　rather　that；　on　many　a　rest…day　I　have　found　mind　and　opportunity　for　such　reading。　Nowadays　mind　and　opportunity　fail　me　never。　I　may　take　down　my　Homer　or　my　Shakespeare　when　I　choose；　but　it　is　still　on　Sunday　that　I　feel　it　most　being　to　seek　the　privilege　of　their　panionship。　For　these　great　ones；　crowned　with　immortality；　do　not　respond　to　him　who　approaches　them　as　though　hurried　by　temporal　care。　There　befits　the　garment　of　solemn　leisure；　the　thought　attuned　to　peace。　I　open　the　volume　somewhat　formally；　is　it　not　sacred；　if　the　word　have　any　meaning　at　all？　And；　as　I　read；　no　interruption　can　befall　me。　The　note　of　a　lin；　the　humming　of　a　bee；　these　are　the　sounds　about　my　sanctuary。　The　page　scarce　rustles　as　it　turns。

VI

Of　how　many　dwellings　can　it　be　said　that　no　word　of　anger　is　ever　heard　beneath　its　roof；　and　that　no　unkindly　feeling　ever　exists　between　the　inmates？　Most　men's　experience　would　seem　to　justify　them　in　declaring　that；　throughout　the　inhabited　world；　no　such　house　exists。　I；　knowing　at　all　events　of　one；　admit　the　possibility　that　there　may　be　more；　yet　I　feel　that　it　is　to　hazard　a　conjecture；　I　cannot　point　with　certainty　to　any　other　instance；　nor　in　all　my　secular　life　（I　speak　as　one　who　has　quitted　the　world）　could　I　have　named　a　single　example。

It　is　so　difficult　for　human　beings　to　live　together；　nay；　it　is　so　difficult　for　them　to　associate；　however　transitorily；　and　even　under　the　most　favourable　conditions；　without　some　shadow　of　mutual　offence。　Consider　the　differences　of　task　and　of　habit；　the　conflict　of　prejudices；　the　divergence　of　opinions　（though　that　is　probably　the　same　thing）；　selves　between　an