第4部分(第2/7 頁)

ted　me。　Now　inland；　now　seaward；　I　followed　the　windings　of　the　Exe。　One　day　I　wandered　in　rich；　warm　valleys；　by　orchards　bursting　into　bloom；　from　farmhouse　to　farmhouse；　each　more　beautiful　than　the　other；　and　from　hamlet　to　hamlet　bowered　amid　dark　evergreens；　the　next；　I　was　on　pine…clad　heights；　gazing　over　moorland　brown　with　last　year's　heather；　feeling　upon　my　face　a　wind　from　the　white…flecked　Channel。　So　intense　was　my　delight　in　the　beautiful　world　about　me　that　I　forgot　even　myself；　I　enjoyed　without　retrospect　or　forecast；　I；　the　egoist　in　grain；　forgot　to　scrutinize　my　own　emotions；　or　to　trouble　my　happiness　by　parison　with　others'　happier　fortune。　It　was　a　healthful　time；　it　gave　me　a　new　lease　of　life；　and　taught　me……in　so　far　as　I　was　teachable……how　to　make　use　of　it。

X

Mentally　and　physically；　I　must　be　much　older　than　my　years。　At　three…and…fifty　a　man　ought　not　to　be　brooding　constantly　on　his　vanished　youth。　These　days　of　spring　which　I　should　be　enjoying　for　their　own　sake；　do　but　turn　me　to　reminiscence；　and　my　memories　are　of　the　springs　that　were　lost。

Some　day　I　will　go　to　London　and　revisit　all　the　places　where　I　housed　in　the　time　of　my　greatest　poverty。　I　have　not　seen　them　for　a　quarter　of　a　century　or　so。　Not　long　ago；　had　any　one　asked　me　how　I　felt　about　these　memories；　I　should　have　said　that　there　were　certain　street　names；　certain　mental　images　of　obscure　London；　which　made　me　wretched　as　often　as　they　came　before　me；　but；　in　truth；　it　is　a　very　long　time　since　I　was　moved　to　any　sort　of　bitterness　by　that　retrospect　of　things　hard　and　squalid。　Now；　owning　all　the　misery　of　it　in　parison　with　what　should　have　been；　I　find　that　part　of　life　interesting　and　pleasant　to　look　back　upon……greatly　more　so　than　many　sub