第25章 三颗桃核 (1)（1 / 1）

ThreePeachStones

Observeachild;anyonewilldo.Youwillseethatnotadaypasseswhichhedoesnotfdsothgorothertoakehihappy,thoughheaybetearstheont.Thenlookataan;anyoneofwilldo.Youwillnoticethatweeksandonthspasswhicheverydayisgreetedwithnothgorethanresignation,andenduredwithpolitedifference.Indeed,ostnareasiserableassners,thoughtheyaretooboredtos?—perhapstheirsistheirdifference.Butitistruethattheysoseldosilethatwhentheydowedonheirface,sodistorteditisfrothefixedaskwetakefranted.Andeventhenaanotsilelikeachild,forachildsileswithhiseyes,whereasaansileswithhislipsaloisnotasile,butagr;sothgtodowithhuour,butlittletodowithhappess.Andthen,asanyonesee,thereisapot(butwhodefethatpot?)whenaanbeesanoldan,andthenhewillsileaga.

Itwouldseethathappessissothgtodowithsiplicity,andthatitistheabilitytoextractpleasurefrothesiplestthgs—suchasapeachstone,forstance.

Itisobviothatitisnothgtodowithsuess.ForSirHenryStewartwascertalysuessful.ItisentyyearsagoscehecadowntoourvilgefroLondon,andboughtaupleofoldttages,whichhehadkoone.Heedhishoeasaweekendrefuge.Hewasabarrister.Andthevilgefollowedhisbrilliantcareerwithsothgalostaountgtopaternalspride.

IrebersotenyearsagowhenhewasadeaKg’ssel,AosandI,seeghigetofftheLondontra,wenttongratutehi.Wegrnedwithpleasure;herelylookedasiserableasthoughhe’dreceivedapenalsentene.Andnotoneofhisachieventsbroughtevenaghostofasiletohistiredeyes.

Iaskedhioneday,soonafterhe’dretiredtopotterabouthisgarden,whatitwasliketoachieveallone’sabitions.Helookeddownathisrosesaonwatergthe.Thenhesaid,“Theonlyvaeachievgone’sabitionisthatyouthenrealisethattheyarenotworthachievg.”Quicklyheovedtheionontoaorepracticallevel,andwithaontwewerebacktoasafedisontheweather.Thatwasoyearsago.

Irecallthist,foryesterday,Iassghishoe,andhaddrawnupycartjtoutsidehisgardenwall.Ihadpulledfrotheroadfornootherreasonthantoletabpass.AsIsattherefillgypipe,Isuddenlyheardashoutofsheerjoyefrotheothersideofthewall.

Ipeeredover.TherestoodSirHenrydognothglessthanatribalwardanceofsheerunashadecstasy.Evenwhenheobservedybewilderedfacestargoverthewallhedidnotseeputoutorebarrassed,butshoutedfortoclibover.