We owned a horse which had been presented to us by a dear friend.It was a magnificent animal of Arabian breed,possessed of almost human intelligence,and was cared for and petted by the whole family,having on one occasion saved my father"s life under remarkable circumstances.My father had been called one winter night to perform an urgent duty and while crossing the mountains,infested by wolves,the horse became frightened and ran away,throwing him violently to the ground.It arrived home bleeding and exhausted,but after the alarm was sounded immediately dashed off again,returning to the spot,and before the searching party were far on the way they were met by my father,who had recovered consciousness and remounted,not realizing that he had been lying in the snow for several hours.This horse was responsible for my brother"s injuries from which he died.Iwitnessed the tragic scene and altho fifty-six years have elapsed since,my visual impression of it has lost none of its force.The recollection of his attainments made every effort of mine seem dull in comparison.
Anything Idid that was creditable merely caused my parents to feel their loss more keenly.So Igrew up with little confidence in myself.But Iwas far from being considered a stupid boy,if Iam to judge from an incident of which Ihave still a strong remembrance.One day the Aldermen were passing thru a street where Iwas at play with other boys.The oldest of these venerable gentlemen-a wealthy citizen-paused to give a silver piece to each of us.Coming to me he suddenly stopt and commanded,"Look in my eyes."Imet his gaze,my hand outstretched to receive the much valued coin,when,to my dismay,he said,"No,not much,you can get nothing from me,you are too smart."
They used to tell a funny story about me.Ihad two old aunts with wrinkled faces,one of them having two teeth protruding like the tusks of an elephant which she buried in my cheek every time she kissed me.Nothing would scare me more than the prospect of being hugged by these as affectionate as unattractive relatives.It happened that while being carried in my mother"s arms they asked me who was the prettier of the two.After examining their faces intently,Ianswered thoughtfully,pointing to one of them,"This here is not as ugly as the other."
Then again,Iwas intended from my very birth for the clerical profession and this thought constantly oppressed me.Ilonged to be an engineer but my father was inflexible.He was the son of an officer who served in the army of the Great Napoleon and,in common with his brother,professor of mathematics in a prominent institution,had received a military education but,singularly enough,later embraced the clergy in which vocation he achieved eminence.He was a very erudite man,a veritable natural philosopher,poet and writer and his sermons were said to be as eloquent as those of Abraham a Sancta-Clara.He had a prodigious memory and frequently recited at length from works in several languages.He often remarked playfully that if some of the classics were lost he could restore them.His style of writing was much admired.He penned sentences short and terse and was full of wit and satire.The humorous remarks he made were always peculiar and characteristic.Just to illustrate,Imay mention one or two instances.
Among the help there was a cross-eyed man called Mane,employed to do work around the farm.He was chopping wood one day.As he swung the axe my father,who stood nearby and felt very uncomfortable,cautioned him,"For God"s sake,Mane,do not strike at what you are looking but at what you intend to hit."
On another occasion he was taking out for a drive a friend who carelessly permitted his costly fur coat to rub on the carriage wheel.My father reminded him of it saying,"Pull in your coat,you are ruining my tire."
He had the odd habit of talking to himself and would often carry on an animated conversation and indulge in heated argument,changing the tone of his voice.Acasual listener might have sworn that several people were in the room.
Altho Imust trace to my mother"s influence whatever inventiveness Ipossess,the training he gave me must have been helpful.It comprised all sorts of exercises-as,guessing one another"s thoughts,discovering the defects of some form or expression,repeating long sentences or performing mental calculations.These daily lessons were intended to strengthen memory and reason and especially to develop the critical sense,and were undoubtedly very beneficial.
My mother descended from one of the oldest families in the country and a line of inventors.Both her father and grandfather originated numerous implements for household,agricultural and other uses.She was a truly great woman,of rare skill,courage and fortitude,who had braved the storms of life and past thru many a trying experience.When she was sixteen a virulent pestilence swept the country.Her father was called away to administer the last sacraments to the dying and during his absence she went alone to the assistance of a neighboring family who were stricken by the dread disease.All of the members,five in number,succumbed in rapid succession.She bathed,clothed and laid out the bodies,decorating them with flowers according to the custom of the country and when her father returned he found everything ready for a Christian burial.
My mother was an inventor of the first order and would,Ibelieve,have achieved great things had she not been so remote from modern life and its multifold opportunities.She invented and constructed all kinds of tools and devices and wove the finest designs from thread which was spun by her.She even planted the seeds,raised the plants and separated the fibers herself.She worked indefatigably,from break of day till late at night,and most of the wearing apparel and furnishings of the home was the product of her hands.When she was past sixty,her fingers were still nimble enough to tie three knots in an eyelash.
