large/9676/unhappy_far-off_things_1701_librivox_64kb_mp3/unhappyfaroffthings_04_dunsany_64kb_6
large/9676/unhappy_far-off_things_1701_librivox_64kb_mp3/unhappyfaroffthings_04_dunsany_64kb
English
9676
He watched me shrewdly and attentively meanwhile, for I was a stranger and was to be taught something I might not know  a thing that it was necessary for all men to learn. HE WATCHED ME SHREWDLY AND ATTENTIVELY MEANWHILE FOR I WAS A STRANGER AND WAS TO BE TAUGHT SOMETHING I MIGHT NOT KNOW A THING THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ALL MEN TO LEARN
 chanced to speak in ruined cities or on busy roads of France. He pointed to a huge white mound beyond on the top of which someone had stuck a small cross of wood. "The church," he said. And that I knew already. In very inadequate French I tried to comfort him. I told him that surely France would build his house again. Perhaps even the allies; for I could not believe that we shall have done enough if we merely drive the Germans out of France and leave this poor old man still wandering homeless. I told him that surely in the future Croisilles would stand again. He took no interest in anything that I said. His house of two storeys was down, his son was dead, the little village of Croisilles had gone away; he had only one hope from the future. When I had finished speaking of the future, he raised a knobbed stick that he carried, up to the level of his throat, surely his son's old trench stick, and there he let it dangle from a piece of string in the handle, which he held against his neck. RENCH FAMILY WITH WHOSE FATHERS I HAVE CHANCED TO SPEAK IN RUINED CITIES OR ON BUSY ROADS OF FRANCE HE POINTED TO A HUGE WHITE MOUND BEYOND ON THE TOP OF WHICH SOMEONE HAD STUCK A SMALL CROSS OF WOOD THE CHURCH HE SAID AND I KNEW ALREADY IN VERY INADEQUATE FRENCH I TRIED TO COMFORT HIM I TOLD HIM THAT SURELY FRANCE WOULD BUILD HIS HOUSE AGAIN PERHAPS EVEN THE ALLIES FOR I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT WE SHALL HAVE DONE ENOUGH IF WE MERELY DRIVE THE GERMANS OUT OF FRANCE AND LEAVE THIS POOR OLD MAN STILL WANDERING HOMELESS I TOLD HIM THAT SURELY IN FUTURE QUASIA WOULD STAND AGAIN HE TOOK NO INTEREST IN ANYTHING THAT I SAID HIS HOUSE OF TWO STORIES WAS DOWN HIS SON WAS DEAD THE LITTLE VILLAGE OF QUASIA HAD GONE AWAY HE HAD ONLY ONE HOPE FROM THE FUTURE WHEN I HAD FINISHED SPEAKING OF THE FUTURE HE RAISED THE KNOBBED STICK THAT HE CARRIED UP TO THE LEVEL OF HIS THROAT SURELY HIS SON'S OLD TRENCH STICK AND THERE HE LET IT DANGLE FROM A PIECE OF STRING IN THE HANDLE WHICH HE HELD AGAINST HIS NECK
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