large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_80
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"I have seen copies of the landscapes of the Italian, painter Claude, which seemed to me faint reminiscences of that calm and happy vision. But all this peace and prosperity seemed to flow from the spreading palm as from a fountain. I HAVE SEEN COPIES OF THE LANDSCAPES OF THE ITALIAN PAINTER CLOD WHICH SEEMED TO ME FAINT REMINISCENCES OF THAT CALM AND HAPPY VISION BUT ALL THIS PEACE AND PROSPERITY SEEMED TO FLOW FROM THE SPREADING PALM AS FROM A FOUNTAIN
g, long ago. I cannot tell whether, when you grow older, you will regard them as a gift of the greatest value, or as something that you had been happier never to have possessed.' "'But, grandpapa, I am not short-sighted.' "'My son, are you not human?' said the old gentleman; and how shall I ever forget the thoughtful sadness with which, at the same time, he handed me the spectacles. "Instinctively I put them on, and looked at my grandfather. But I saw no grandfather, no piazza, no flowered dressing-gown; I saw only a luxuriant palm-tree, waving broadly over a tranquil landscape; pleasant homes clustered around it; gardens teeming with fruit and flowers; flocks quietly feeding; birds wheeling and chirping. I heard children's voices, and the low lullaby of happy mothers. The sound of cheerful singing came wafted from distant fields upon the light breeze. Golden harvests glistened out of sight, and I caught their rustling whispers of prosperity. A warm, mellow atmosphere bathed the whole. WHEN SHE ARRIVED HERE ONE FINE SUMMER MORNING LONG AGO I CANNOT TELL WHETHER WHEN YOU GROW OLDER YOU WILL REGARD THEM AS A GIFT OF THE GREATEST VALUE OR A SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD BEEN HAPPIER NEVER TO HAVE POSSESSED BUT GRANDPAPA I AM NOT SHORT SIGHTED MY SON ARE YOU NOT HUMAN SAID THE OLD GENTLEMAN AND HOW SHALL I EVER FORGET THE THOUGHTFUL SADNESS WITH WHICH AT THE SAME TIME HE HANDED ME THE SPECTACLES INSTINCTIVELY I PUT THEM ON AND LOOKED AT MY GRANDFATHER BUT I SAW NO GRANDFATHER NO PIAZZA NO FLOWERED DRESSING GOWN I SAW ONLY A LUXURIANT PALM TREE WAVING BROADLY OVER A TRANQUIL LANDSCAPE PLEASANT HOMES CLUSTERED AROUND IT GARDENS TEEMING WITH FRUIT AND FLOWERS FLOCKS QUIETLY FEEDING BIRDS WHEELING AND CHIRPING I HEARD CHILDREN'S VOICES AND THE LOW LULLABY OF HAPPY MOTHERS THE SOUND OF CHEERFUL SINGING CAME WAFTED FROM DISTANT FIELDS UPON THE LIGHT BREEZE GOLDEN HARVESTS GLISTEN OUT OF SIGHT AND I CAUGHT THEIR RUSTLING WHISPERS OF PROSPERITY A WARM MELLOW ATMOSPHERE BATHED THE WHOLE
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