Chapter 27 In The Garden.docx

Chapter 27 In The Garden.docx

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Chapter27InTheGarden

Chapter27InTheGarden

Ineachcenturysincethebeginningoftheworldwonderfulthingshavebeendiscovered.Inthelastcenturymoreamazingthingswerefoundoutthaninanycenturybefore.

　　Inthisnewcenturyhundredsofthingsstillmoreastoundingwillbebroughttolight.Atfirstpeoplerefusetobelievethatastrangenewthingcanbedone,thentheybegintohopeitcanbedone,thentheyseeitcanbedone--thenitisdoneandalltheworldwonderswhyitwasnotdonecenturiesago.Oneofthenewthingspeoplebegantofindoutinthelastcenturywasthatthoughts--justmerethoughts--areaspowerfulaselectricbatteries--asgoodforoneassunlightis,orasbadforoneaspoison.Toletasadthoughtorabadonegetintoyourmindisasdangerousaslettingascarletfevergermgetintoyourbody.Ifyouletitstaythereafterithasgotinyoumaynevergetoveritaslongasyoulive.

　　SolongasMistressMary'smindwasfullofdisagreeablethoughtsaboutherdislikesandsouropinionsofpeopleandherdeterminationnottobepleasedbyorinterestedinanything,shewasayellow-faced,sickly,boredandwretchedchild.Circumstances,however,wereverykindtoher,thoughshewasnotatallawareofit.

　　Theybegantopushheraboutforherowngood.Whenhermindgraduallyfilleditselfwithrobins,andmoorlandcottagescrowdedwithchildren,withqueercrabbedoldgardenersandcommonlittleYorkshirehousemaids,withspringtimeandwithsecretgardenscomingalivedaybyday,andalsowithamoorboyandhis"creatures,"therewasnoroomleftforthedisagreeablethoughtswhichaffectedherliverandherdigestionandmadeheryellowandtired.

　　SolongasColinshuthimselfupinhisroomandthoughtonlyofhisfearsandweaknessandhisdetestationofpeoplewholookedathimandreflectedhourlyonhumpsandearlydeath,hewasahystericalhalf-crazylittlehypochondriacwhoknewnothingofthesunshineandthespringandalsodidnotknowthathecouldgetwellandcouldstanduponhisfeetifhetriedtodoit.

　　Whennewbeautifulthoughtsbegantopushouttheoldhideousones,lifebegantocomebacktohim,hisbloodranhealthilythroughhisveinsandstrengthpouredintohimlikeaflood.Hisscientificexperimentwasquitepracticalandsimpleandtherewasnothingweirdaboutitatall.

　　Muchmoresurprisingthingscanhappentoanyonewho,whenadisagreeableordiscouragedthoughtcomesintohismind,justhasthesensetorememberintimeandpushitoutbyputtinginanagreeabledeterminedlycourageousone.

　　Twothingscannotbeinoneplace.

　　"Where,youtendarose,mylad,Athistlecannotgrow."Whilethesecretgardenwascomingaliveandtwochildrenwerecomingalivewithit,therewasamanwanderingaboutcertainfar-awaybeautifulplacesintheNorwegianfiordsandthevalleysandmountainsofSwitzerlandandhewasamanwhofortenyearshadkepthismindfilledwithdarkandheart-brokenthinking.Hehadnotbeencourageous;hehadnevertriedtoputanyotherthoughtsintheplaceofthedarkones.Hehadwanderedbybluelakesandthoughtthem;hehadlainonmountain-sideswithsheetsofdeepbluegentiansbloomingallabouthimandflowerbreathsfillingalltheairandhehadthoughtthem.Aterriblesorrowhadfallenuponhimwhenhehadbeenhappyandhehadlethissoulfillitselfwithblacknessandhadrefusedobstinatelytoallowanyriftoflighttopiercethrough.

　　Hehadforgottenanddesertedhishomeandhisduties.

　　Whenhetraveledabout,darknesssobroodedoverhimthatthesightofhimwasawrongdonetootherpeoplebecauseitwasasifhepoisonedtheairabouthimwithgloom.

　　Moststrangersthoughthemustbeeitherhalfmadoramanwithsomehiddencrimeonhissoul.He,wasatallmanwithadrawnfaceandcrookedshouldersandthenamehealwaysenteredonhotelregisterswas,"ArchibaldCraven,MisselthwaiteManor,Yorkshire,England."HehadtraveledfarandwidesincethedayhesawMistressMaryinhisstudyandtoldhershemighthaveher"bitofearth."HehadbeeninthemostbeautifulplacesinEurope,thoughhehadremainednowheremorethanafewdays.

　　Hehadchosenthequietestandremotestspots.

　　Hehadbeenonthetopsofmountainswhoseheadswereinthecloudsandhadlookeddownonothermountainswhenthesunroseandtouchedthemwithsuchlightasmadeitseemasiftheworldwerejustbeingborn.

　　Butthelighthadneverseemedtotouchhimselfuntilonedaywhenherealizedthatforthefirsttimeintenyearsastrangethinghadhappened.HewasinawonderfulvalleyintheAustrianTyrolandhehadbeenwalkingalonethroughsuchbeautyasmighthavelifted,anyman'ssouloutofshadow.Hehadwalkedalongwayandithadnotliftedhis.Butatlasthehadfelttiredandhadthrownhimselfdowntorestonacarpetofmossbyastream.

　　Itwasaclearlittlestreamwhichranquitemerrilyalongonitsnarrowwaythroughthelusciousdampgreenness.

　　Sometimesitmadeasoundratherlikeverylowlaughterasitbubbledoverandroundstones.Hesawbirdscomeanddiptheirheadstodrinkinitandthenflicktheirwingsandflyaway.Itseemedlikeathingaliveandyetitstinyvoicemadethestillnessseemdeeper.

　　Thevalleywasvery,verystill.

　　Ashesatgazingintotheclearrunningofthewater,ArchibaldCravengraduallyfelthismindandbodybothgrowquiet,asquietasthevalleyitself.

　　Hewonderedifheweregoingtosleep,buthewasnot.

　　Hesatandgazedatthesunlitwaterandhiseyesbegantoseethingsgrowingatitsedge.Therewasonelovelymassofblueforget-me-notsgrowingsoclosetothestreamthatitsleaveswerewetandatthesehefoundhimselflookingasherememberedhehadlookedatsuchthingsyearsago.

　　Hewasactuallythinkingtenderlyhowlovelyitwasandwhatwondersofblueitshundredsoflittleblossomswere.

　　Hedidnotknowthatjustthatsimplethoughtwasslowlyfillinghismind--fillingandfillingituntilotherthingsweresoftlypushedaside.Itwasasifasweetclearspringhadbeguntoriseinastagnantpoolandhadrisenandrisenuntilatlastitsweptthedarkwateraway.

　　Butofcoursehedidnotthinkofthishimself.Heonlyknewthatthevalleyseemedtogrowquieterandquieterashesatandstaredatthebrightdelicateblueness.

　　Hedidnotknowhowlonghesatthereorwhatwashappeningtohim,butatlasthemovedasifhewereawakeningandhegotupslowlyandstoodonthemosscarpet,drawingalong,deep,softbreathandwonderingathimself.

　　Somethingseemedtohavebeenunboundandreleasedinhim,veryquietly.

　　"Whatisit?

"hesaid,almostinawhisper,andhepassedhishandoverhisforehead."Ialmostfeelasif--Iwerealive!

"Idonotknowenoughaboutthewonderfulnessofundiscoveredthingstobeabletoexplainhowthishadhappenedtohim.

　　Neitherdoesanyoneelseyet.Hedidnotunderstandatallhimself--butherememberedthisstrangehourmonthsafterwardwhenhewasatMisselthwaiteagainandhefoundoutquitebyaccidentthatonthisverydayColinhadcriedoutashewentintothesecretgarden:

　　"Iamgoingtoliveforeverandeverandever!

"Thesingularcalmnessremainedwithhimtherestoftheeveningandhesleptanewreposefulsleep;butitwasnotwithhimverylong.Hedidnotknowthatitcouldbekept.Bythenextnighthehadopenedthedoorswidetohisdarkthoughtsandtheyhadcometroopingandrushingback.Heleftthevalleyandwentonhiswanderingwayagain.But,strangeasitseemedtohim,therewereminutes--sometimeshalf-hours--when,withouthisknowingwhy,theblackburdenseemedtoliftitselfagainandheknewhewasalivingmanandnotadeadone.

　　Slowly--slowly--fornoreasonthatheknewof--hewas"comingalive"withthegarden.

　　AsthegoldensummerchangedintothedeepgoldenautumnhewenttotheLakeofComo.Therehefoundthelovelinessofadream.Hespenthisdaysuponthecrystalbluenessofthelakeorhewalkedbackintothesoftthickverdureofthehillsandtrampeduntilhewastiredsothathemightsleep.Butbythistimehehadbeguntosleepbetter,heknew,andhisdreamshadceasedtobeaterrortohim.

　　"Perhaps,"hethought,"mybodyisgrowingstronger."Itwasgrowingstrongerbut--becauseoftherarepeacefulhourswhenhisthoughtswerechanged--hissoulwasslowlygrowingstronger,too.HebegantothinkofMisselthwaiteandwonderifheshouldnotgohome.

　　Nowandthenhewonderedvaguelyabouthisboyandaskedhimselfwhatheshouldfeelwhenhewentandstoodbythecarvedfour-postedbedagainandlookeddownatthesharplychiseledivory-whitefacewhileitsleptand,theblacklashesrimmedsostartlinglytheclose-shuteyes.

　　Heshrankfromit.

　　Onemarvelofadayhehadwalkedsofarthatwhenhereturnedthemoonwashighandfullandalltheworldwaspurpleshadowandsilver.Thestillnessoflakeandshoreandwoodwassowonderfulthathedidnotgointothevillahelivedin.Hewalkeddowntoalittleboweredterraceatthewater'sedgeandsatuponaseatandbreathedinalltheheavenlyscentsofthenight.

　　Hefeltthestrangecalmnessstealingoverhimanditgrewdeeperanddeeperuntilhefellasleep.

　　Hedidnotknowwhenhefellasleepandwhenhebegantodream;hisdreamwassorealthathedidnotfeelasifheweredreaming.Herememberedafterwardhowintenselywideawakeandalerthehadthoughthewas.

　　Hethoughtthatashesatandbreathedinthescentofthelaterosesandlistenedtothelappingofthewaterathisfeetheheardavoicecalling.Itwassweetandclearandhappyandfaraway.Itseemedveryfar,buthehearditasdistinctlyasifithadbeenathisveryside.

　　"Archie!

Archie!

Archie!

"itsaid,andthenagain,sweeterandclearerthanbefore,"Archie!

Archie!

"Hethoughthesprangtohisfeetnotevenstartled.

　　It