large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb_128
large/7245/short_story_053_1212_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory053_04_titbottomsspectacles_lja_64kb
English
7245
"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. 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
tering to the old gentleman, wrapped in his dressing-gown, and seated upon the piazza. I remember his white hair, and his calm smile, and how, not long before he died, he called me to him, and laying his hand upon my head, said to me: "'My child, the world is not this great sunny piazza, nor life the fairy stories which the women tell you here, as you sit in their laps. I shall soon be gone, but I want to leave with you some memento of my love for you, and I know of nothing more valuable than these spectacles, which your grandmother brought from her native island, 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 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. RE VERY DISTINCT FIGURES IN MY MEMORY MINISTERING TO THE OLD GENTLEMAN WRAPPED IN HIS DRESSING GOWN AND SEATED UPON THE PIAZZA I REMEMBER HIS WHITE HAIR AND HIS CALM SMILE AND HOW NOT LONG BEFORE HE DIED HE CALLED ME TO HIM AND LAYING HIS HAND UPON MY HEAD SAID TO ME MY CHILD THE WORLD IS NOT THIS GREAT SUNNY PIAZZA NOR LIFE THE FAIRY STORIES WHICH THE WOMEN TELL YOU HERE AS YOU SIT IN THEIR LAPS I SHALL SOON BE GONE BUT I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH SOME MEMENTO OF MY LOVE FOR YOU AND I KNOW OF NOTHING MORE VALUABLE THAN THESE SPECTACLES WHICH YOUR GRANDMOTHER BROUGHT FROM HER NATIVE ISLAND 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
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