BEAUTY OF FORM AND BEAUTY OF MIND.docx

BEAUTY OF FORM AND BEAUTY OF MIND.docx

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BEAUTYOFFORMANDBEAUTYOFMIND

1872

FAIRYTALESOFHANSCHRISTIANANDERSEN

BEAUTYOFFORMANDBEAUTYOFMIND

byHansChristianAndersen

THEREwasonceasculptor,namedAlfred,whohavingwonthe

largegoldmedalandobtainedatravellingscholarship,wenttoItaly,

andthencamebacktohisnativeland.Hewasyoungatthattime-

indeed,heisyoungstill,althoughheistenyearsolderthanhe

wasthen.Onhisreturn,hewenttovisitoneofthelittletownsin

theislandofZealand.Thewholetownknewwhothestrangerwas;and

oneoftherichestmenintheplacegaveapartyinhishonor,andall

whowereofanyconsequence,orwhopossessedsomeproperty,were

invited.Itwasquiteanevent,andallthetownknewofit,sothat

itwasnotnecessarytoannounceitbybeatofdrum.

Apprentice-boys,childrenofthepoor,andeventhepoorpeople

themselves,stoodbeforethehouse,watchingthelightedwindows;

andthewatchmanmighteasilyfancyhewasgivingapartyalso,

thereweresomanypeopleinthestreets.Therewasquiteanairof

festivityaboutit,andthehousewasfullofit;forMr.Alfred,

thesculptor,wasthere.Hetalkedandtoldanecdotes,andeveryone

listenedtohimwithpleasure,notunmingledwithawe;butnonefelt

somuchrespectforhimasdidtheelderlywidowofanavalofficer.

Sheseemed,sofarasMr.Alfredwasconcerned,tobelikeapiece

offreshblotting-paperthatabsorbedallhesaidandaskedfor

more.Shewasveryappreciative,andincrediblyignorant-akindof

femaleGasparHauser.

"IshouldliketoseeRome,"shesaid;"itmustbealovely

city,orsomanyforeignerswouldnotbeconstantlyarrivingthere.

Now,dogivemeadescriptionofRome.Howdoesthecitylookwhenyou

enterinatthegate?

"

"Icannotverywelldescribeit,"saidthesculptor;"butyou

enteronalargeopenspace,inthecentreofwhichstandsanobelisk,

whichisathousandyearsold."

"Anorganist!

"exclaimedthelady,whohadneverheardtheword

'obelisk.'Severaloftheguestscouldscarcelyforbearlaughing,

andthesculptorwouldhavehadsomedifficultyinkeepinghis

countenance,butthesmileonhislipsfadedaway;forhecaughtsight

ofapairofdark-blueeyesclosebythesideoftheinquisitivelady.

Theybelongedtoherdaughter;andsurelynoonewhohadsucha

daughtercouldbesilly.Themotherwaslikeafountainof

questions;andthedaughter,wholistenedbutneverspoke,might

havepassedforthebeautifulmaidofthefountain.Howcharmingshe

was!

Shewasastudyforthesculptortocontemplate,butnotto

conversewith;forshedidnotspeak,or,atleast,veryseldom.

"Hasthepopeagreatfamily?

"inquiredthelady.

Theyoungmanansweredconsiderately,asifthequestionhad

beenadifferentone,"No;hedoesnotcomefromagreatfamily."

"ThatisnotwhatIasked,"persistedthewidow;"Imean,hashea

wifeandchildren?

"

"Thepopeisnotallowedtomarry,"repliedthegentleman.

"Idon'tlikethat,"wasthelady'sremark.

Shecertainlymighthaveaskedmoresensiblequestions;butifshe

hadnotbeenallowedtosayjustwhatsheliked,wouldherdaughter

havebeenthere,leaningsogracefullyonhershoulder,andlooking

straightbeforeher,withasmilethatwasalmostmournfulonher

face?

Mr.AlfredagainspokeofItaly,andofthegloriouscolorsin

Italianscenery;thepurplehills,thedeepblueoftheMediterranean,

theazureofsouthernskies,whosebrightnessandglorycouldonly

besurpassedinthenorthbythedeep-blueeyesofamaiden;andhe

saidthiswithapeculiarintonation;butshewhoshouldhave

understoodhismeaninglookedquiteunconsciousofit,whichalso

wascharming.

"BeautifulItaly!

"sighedsomeoftheguests.

"Oh,totravelthere!

"exclaimedothers.

"Charming!

Charming!

"echoedfromeveryvoice.

"Imayperhapswinahundredthousanddollarsinthelottery,"

saidthenavalofficer'swidow;"andifIdo,wewilltravel-Iandmy

daughter;andyou,Mr.Alfred,mustbeourguide.Wecanallthree

traveltogether,withoneortwomoreofourgoodfriends."Andshe

noddedinsuchafriendlywayatthecompany,thateachimagined

himselftobethefavoredpersonwhowastoaccompanythemtoItaly.

"Yes,wemustgo,"shecontinued;"butnottothosepartswhere

therearerobbers.WewillkeeptoRome.Inthepublicroadsoneis

alwayssafe."

Thedaughtersighedverygently;andhowmuchtheremaybeina

sigh,orattributedtoit!

Theyoungmanattributedagreatdealof

meaningtothissigh.Thosedeep-blueeyes,whichhadbeenlitupthis

eveninginhonorofhim,mustconcealtreasures,treasuresofheart

andmind,richerthanallthegloriesofRome;andsowhenheleftthe

partythatnight,hehadlostitcompletelytotheyounglady.The

houseofthenavalofficer'swidowwastheonemostconstantlyvisited

byMr.Alfred,thesculptor.Itwassoonunderstoodthathisvisits

werenotintendedforthatlady,thoughtheywerethepersonswhokept

uptheconversation.Hecameforthesakeofthedaughter.Theycalled

herKaela.HernamewasreallyKarenMalena,andthesetwonameshad

beencontractedintotheonenameKaela.Shewasreallybeautiful;but

somesaidshewasratherdull,andsleptlateofamorning.

"Shehasbeenaccustomedtothat,"hermothersaid."Sheisa

beauty,andtheyarealwayseasilytired.Shedoessleeprather

late;butthatmakeshereyessoclear."

Whatpowerseemedtolieinthedepthsofthosedarkeyes!

The

youngmanfeltthetruthoftheproverb,"Stillwatersrundeep:

"

andhishearthadsunkintotheirdepths.Heoftentalkedofhis

adventures,andthemammawasassimpleandeagerinherquestions

asonthefirsteveningtheymet.ItwasapleasuretohearAlfred

describeanything.HeshowedthemcoloredplatesofNaples,and

spokeofexcursionstoMountVesuvius,andtheeruptionsoffire

fromit.Thenavalofficer'swidowhadneverheardofthembefore.

"Goodheavens!

"sheexclaimed."Sothatisaburningmountain;but

isitnotverydangeroustothepeoplewholivenearit?

"

"Wholecitieshavebeendestroyed,"hereplied;"forinstance,

HerculaneumandPompeii."

"Oh,thepoorpeople!

Andyousawallthatwithyourowneyes?

"

"No;Ididnotseeanyoftheeruptionswhicharerepresentedin

thosepictures;butIwillshowyouasketchofmyown,which

representsaneruptionIoncesaw."

Heplacedapencilsketchonthetable;andmamma,whohadbeen

over-poweredwiththeappearanceofthecoloredplates,threwaglance

atthepaledrawingandcriedinastonishment,"What,didyouseeit

throwupwhitefire?

"

Foramoment,Alfred'srespectforKaela'smammaunderwenta

suddenshock,andlessenedconsiderably;but,dazzledbythelight

whichsurroundedKaela,hesoonfounditquitenaturalthattheold

ladyshouldhavenoeyeforcolor.Afterall,itwasofverylittle

consequence;forKaela'smammahadthebestofallpossessions;

namely,Kaelaherself.

AlfredandKaelawerebetrothed,whichwasaverynatural

result;andthebetrothalwasannouncedinthenewspaperofthelittle

town.Mamapurchasedthirtycopiesofthepaper,thatshemightcut

outtheparagraphandsendittofriendsandacquaintances.The

betrothedpairwereveryhappy,andthemotherwashappytoo.Shesaid

itseemedlikeconnectingherselfwithThorwalsden.

"YouareatruesuccessorofThorwalsden,"shesaidtoAlfred;and

itseemedtohimasif,inthisinstance,mammahadsaidaclever

thing.Kaelawassilent;buthereyesshone,herlipssmiled,every

movementwasgraceful,-infact,shewasbeautiful;thatcannotbe

repeatedtoooften.AlfreddecidedtotakeabustofKaelaaswell

asofhermother.Theysattohimaccordingly,andsawhowhe

mouldedandformedthesoftclaywithhisfingers.

"Isupposeitisonlyonouraccountthatyouperformthis

common-placeworkyourself,insteadofleavingittoyourservantto

doallthatstickingtogether."

"ItisreallynecessarythatIshouldmouldtheclaymyself,"he

replied.

"Ah,yes,youarealwayssopolite,"saidmamma,withasmile;and

Kaelasilentlypressedhishand,allsoiledasitwaswiththeclay.

ThenheunfoldedtothemboththebeautiesofNature,inallher

works;hepointedouttothemhow,inthescaleofcreation,inanimate

matterwasinferiortoanimatenature;theplantabovethemineral,

theanimalabovetheplant,andmanabovethemall.Hestroveto

showthemhowthebeautyofthemindcouldbedisplayedintheoutward

form,andthatitwasthesculptor'stasktoseizeuponthatbeautyof

expression,andproduceitinhisworks.Kaelastoodsilent,but

noddedinapprobationofwhathesaid,whilemamma-in-lawmadethe

followingconfession:

-

"Itisdifficulttofollowyou;butIgohobblingalongafter

youwithmythoughts,thoughwhatyousaymakesmyheadwhirlround

andround.StillIcontrivetolayholdonsomeofit."

Kaela'sbeautyhadafirmholdonAlfred;itfilledhissoul,

andheldamasteryoverhim.BeautybeamedfromKaela'severyfeature,

glitteredinhereyes,lurkedinthecornersofhermouth,and

pervadedeverymovementofheragilefingers.Alfred,thesculptor,

sawthis.Hespokeonlytoher,thoughtonlyofher,andthetwo

becameone;andsoitmaybesaidshespokemuch,forhewasalways

talkingtoher;andheandshewereone.Suchwasthebetrothal,and

thencamethewedding,withbride's-maidsandweddingpresents,all

dulymentionedintheweddingspeech.Mamma-in-lawhadsetup

Thorwalsden'sbustattheendofthetable,attiredina

dressing-gown;itwasherfancythatheshouldbeaguest.Songs

weresung,andcheersgiven;foritwasagaywedding,andtheywerea

handsomepair."PygmalionlovedhisGalatea,"saidoneofth