Home Categories Novel Corner Demon Swamp

Chapter 4 〇Smart and Capable Farmer Germain

Demon Swamp 喬治.桑 2832Words 2023-02-05
Yes, I already have someone in mind, replied Papa Maurice. Her maiden name was Leonor, and her former husband was named Gayland, who lived in Fourches. I knew neither the woman nor the place.Thus replied Germain, submissive, but more and more frowning. She was also called Katrin like your dead woman. Katrin?Yes, it would make me happy to be called Katrin again!But if I could not love her as well as the other, it would make me suffer more, and make me miss the dead one all the more. I tell you, you'll love her: she's a good fellow, with a good heart, and I haven't seen her in years, and she wasn't an ugly girl then; but she's not young now, she's three Twelve years old.She comes from a good family, all upright people, and she has eight or ten thousand francs of estates, which she is willing to sell and buy where she will settle; for she also intends to remarry, I know , if your personality matches hers, she won't think your situation is bad.

Have you got everything organized? Yes, it depends on the opinions of both of you; both of you should ask clearly when you meet.This woman's father is somewhat related to me, and he was a very good friend of mine in the past.Do you know Papa Leonard? Yes, I saw him talking to you at the market. You had dinner together at the market last time. Is this what he talked with you for so long? That's right; he saw you selling cattle and thought you were doing well, a good-looking young man who looked hardworking and capable; I told him everything about you, we have been together and worked together for eight years, you treat We are really good, never said a word of anger, or lost his temper, and he thought of marrying her daughter to you; Given the prosperity of their family, which I knew, the marriage seemed fitting to me.

I see, Papa, that you have grown a little on the prosperity of your family business. Needless to say, I value it very much.Don't you value it? If you will, I will, and please your heart; but, you know, as far as I am concerned, I never care what we get and what we don't.I'm not good at how to divide, and my brain is not good at these things.What I know is the land, cattle and horses, harnessing carts, sowing seeds, threshing fields, and mowing grass.As for sheep, vines, gardening, and handicrafts, you know, that's your son's business, and I don't have much of a problem.As for money, my brain doesn't work, I'm afraid you will fight over me, I'd rather let others forget it.I was afraid of making a mistake, and accusing myself of what I did not deserve, and if such a thing were not straightforward, I would never be able to keep track of the accounts.

It's a bad thing, my boy, and that's why I want you to marry a sensible woman who can take my place when I'm gone.You have never been willing to settle the accounts. When I am away, you cannot get both of you to agree and tell you how much each of you should share. At that time, you and my son will fall out. Dad, I wish you a long life!But you needn't worry about what's behind you; I'll never quarrel with your son.I trust Jacques, as I trust you, I have no property of my own, everything that belongs to me belongs to your daughter, belongs to my children, so I can rest assured, and so can you; Jacques will not take away for his own children His sister's children's stuff, because he loved them almost as much.

You are right, Germain.Jacques was a good son, a good brother, a man who loved the truth.However, Jacques may die before you. His child has not yet grown up. In a family, one must always think about not letting underage children have no parents to guide them and resolve their disputes.Otherwise, those who are engaged in the law will intervene, making them more at odds and ruining their fortunes in lawsuits.Therefore, shouldn't we think of adding another person to our family, whether it is a man or a woman, maybe one day, this person will take care of the words, deeds and work of the thirty or so children, grandchildren, son-in-law and daughter-in-law God knows what a family will be like. No matter how much it expands, when the hive is too crowded, it should be separated, and each bee wants to take its share of honey.Although my daughter is rich and you are poor, when I recruited you to be my son-in-law, I didn't blame her for choosing you.I see that you can work, and I understand that the best wealth for farmers like us is to have arms and a heart like yours.When a man brings these into a family, he brings enough.A woman is different: her job at home is to preserve, not to acquire.Besides, now that you are a father and looking for a wife, you have to think about it. Your future children cannot claim the inheritance of the ex-wife’s children. Once you die, they will have to live in poverty unless your woman has some property.Also, if you want to add so many children to our family, you need something to fill your stomach.Had it all fallen upon us, it goes without saying, we'd bring them up without a murmur; but every one less comfort, and your older children less.When the population of the family increases rapidly, and the property cannot be increased in proportion, hard times are coming, no matter what courage there is to meet it.That is my opinion, Germain, think it over, and try to please the widow Guerin; for she is good and rich, and will help our family now, and will bring peace in the future.

all right dad.I will do my best to please her, and I hope she likes me too. In that case, you have to go see her, look for her. to her?To Fourche?It's far from here, isn't it?There is no time to run around in this season. If it's a love marriage, then you have to expect to waste some time; but this is a rational marriage, both parties don't need to act coquettishly, know what they are rushing for, and it will be settled soon.Tomorrow is Saturday; you should finish work early and leave around two o'clock after dinner, and you can reach Fourche at night; the moonlight is very bright now, the road is easy to walk, and it is only thirty miles away, close to Magnier, but you can Ride that mare.

It's so cool, I'd rather go for a walk. That's all very well, but the mare is very pretty, and it's an honor for a suitor to ride on such a fine horse.You put on new clothes and bring decent game as a present for Papa Leonard.You just say that I asked you to go, talk to him, spend the whole day with his daughter on Sunday, and you can get home on Monday morning whether you succeed or not. So be it.Germain answered calmly; in fact he was not at all calm. Like a hard-working farmer, Germain has been living a law-abiding life.He got married at the age of twenty and only loved one woman in his life. Although he was quick-tempered and lively, he hadn't played with other women since his wife died.With true mourning in his heart, he followed his father-in-law's words with a little apprehension; but his father-in-law had always managed the house well, and Germain had devoted himself entirely to the common cause of the family, and was therefore devoted to the personification of that cause. Parents, Germain did not understand that he could have objected to such fine reasons, against the interests of all.

But he was sad.There were few days when he did not mourn his wife in secret, and even though loneliness began to oppress him, he was more afraid of remarrying than escaping from it.It occurred to him vaguely that the sudden seizure of love might console him, for love comforts no other way.You go looking for love, you may not find it; instead of waiting for it, it comes instead.This icy proposal of marriage that Father Maurice had proposed to him, this unknown object, and even all that was said of her reason and virtue, made him ponder.As he walked away, he brooded, like those who do not think too much and do not make up their minds to fight, that is, without thinking up some convincing and self-interested reasons, but suffering without words, discord. Fight against the misfortune that must be accepted.

Father Maurice had gone back to the farm, and Germain, at sunset and night, wasted no time in repairing the breach the sheep had made in the wall beside the house.He raised the brambles and filled them with clods, while thrushes twittered in the nearby bushes, as if urging him to hurry, expecting to come over as soon as he was gone to check how he was doing.
Press "Left Key ←" to return to the previous chapter; Press "Right Key →" to enter the next chapter; Press "Space Bar" to scroll down.
Chapters
Chapters
Setting
Setting
Add
Return
Book