Every one seemed desirous to know what
business could have taken so old and poor a man so far a journey
from his own home.
It had pleased heaven, he said, to bless him with three sons, the
finest lads in Germany; but having in one week lost two of the
eldest of them by the small-pox, and the youngest falling ill of
the same distemper, he was afraid of being bereft of them all; and
made a vow, if heaven would not take him from him also, he would go
in gratitude to St. Iago in Spain.
When the mourner got thus far on his story, he stopp'd to pay
Nature her tribute, - and wept bitterly.
He said, heaven had accepted the conditions; and that he had set
out from his cottage with this poor creature, who had been a
patient partner of his journey; - that it had eaten the same bread
with him all the way, and was unto him as a friend.
Every body who stood about, heard the poor fellow with concern. - La
Fleur offered him money. - The mourner said he did not want it; - it
was not the value of the ass - but the loss of him. - The ass, he
said, he was assured, loved him; - and upon this told them a long
story of a mischance upon their passage over the Pyrenean
mountains, which had separated them from each other three days;
during which time the ass had sought him as much as he had sought
the ass, and that they had scarce either eaten or drank till they
met.
Thou hast one comfort, friend, said I, at least, in the loss of thy
poor beast; I'm sure thou hast been a merciful master to him. -
Alas! said the mourner, I thought so when he was alive; - but now
that he is dead, I think otherwise. - I fear the weight of myself
and my afflictions together have been too much for him, - they have
shortened the poor creature's days, and I fear I have them to
answer for. - Shame on the world! said I to myself. - Did we but love
each other as this poor soul loved his ass - 'twould be something. -
NAMPONT. THE POSTILION.
The concern which the poor fellow's story threw me into required
some attention; the postilion paid not the least to it, but set off
upon the pave in a full gallop.
The thirstiest soul in the most sandy desert of Arabia could not
have wished more for a cup of cold water, than mine did for grave
and quiet movements; and I should have had an high opinion of the
postilion had he but stolen off with me in something like a pensive
pace.
