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The Aspirations of Jean Servien by Anatole France
The Aspirations of Jean Servien by Anatole France
Jean Servien was born in a back-shop in the Rue Notre-Dame des Champs. His father was a bookbinder and worked for the Religious Houses. Jean was a little weakling child, and his mother nursed him at her breast as she sewed the books, sheet by sheet, with the curved needle of the trade. One day as she was crossing the shop, humming a song, in the words of which she found expression for the vague, splendid visions of her maternal ambition, her foot slipped on the boards, which were moist with paste.
Instinctively she threw up her arm to guard the child she held clasped to her bosom, and struck her breast, thus exposed, a severe blow against the corner of the iron press. She felt no very acute pain at the time, but later on an abscess formed, which got well, but presently reopened, and a low fever supervened that confined her to her bed.
There, in the long, long evenings, she would fold her little one in her one sound arm and croon over him in a hot, feverish whisper bits of her favourite ditty:
The fisherman, when dawn is nigh,
Peers forth to greet the kindling sky....
Above all, she loved the refrain that recurred at the end of each verse with only the change of a word. It was her little Jean's lullaby, who became, at the caprice of the words, turn and turn about, General, Lawyer, and ministrant at the altar in her fond hopes.
A woman of the people, knowing nothing of the circumstances of fashionable life, save from a few peeps at their outward pomp and the vague tales of concierges, footmen, and cooks, she pictured her boy at twenty more beautiful than an archangel, his breast glittering with decorations, in a drawing-room full of flowers, amid a bevy of fashionable ladies with manners every whit as genteel as had the actresses at the Gymnase:
But for the nonce, on mother's breast, Sweet wee gallant, take thy rest.
Presently the vision changed; now her boy was standing up gowned in Court, by his eloquence saving the life and honour of some illustrious client:
But for the nonce, on mother's breast, Sweet wee pleader, take thy rest.
Presently again he was an officer under fire, in a brilliant uniform, on a prancing charger, victorious in battle, like the great Generals whose portraits she had seen one Sunday at Versailles:
But for the nonce, on mother's breast, Sweet wee general, take thy rest.
But when night was creeping into the room, a new picture would dazzle her eyes, a picture this of other and incomparably greater glories.
Proud in her motherhood, yet humble too at heart, she was gazing from the dim recesses of a sanctuary at her son, her Jean, clad in sacerdotal vestments, lifting the monstrance in the vaulted choir censed by the beating wings of half-seen Cherubim. And she would tremble awestruck as if she were the mother of a god, this poor sick work-woman whose puling child lay beside her drooping in the poisoned air of a back-shop:
But for the nonce, on mother's breast,
My sweet boy-bishop, take thy rest.
One evening, as her husband handed her a cooling drink, she said to him in a tone of regret:
"Why did you disturb me? I could see the Holy Virgin among flowers and precious stones and lights. It was so beautiful! so beautiful!"
She said she was no longer in pain, that she wished her Jean to learn Latin. And she passed away.
This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.
In this timeless tale, French writer Anatole France recasts the life and works of the beloved 4th century saint who was the distant ancestor of our modern-day Santa Claus. Known for his eminently generous personality, St. Nicolas has also had a number of miracles attributed to him, including the resurrection of three children who had been murdered by a crazed butcher.
Sous la révolution française, le glissement inexorable d'un "pur" vers l'abus de pouvoir et l'assassinat "légal" —puis la mort en Thermidor.
Winner of the 1921 Nobel Prize for Literature, Anatole France was a French poet, journalist and novelist, whose works were celebrated for their nobility of style and profound human sympathy. For the first time in publishing history, this comprehensive eBook presents France's complete fictional works, with numerous illustrations, many rare texts, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)Beautifully illustrated with images relating to France's life and worksConcise introductions to the novels and other textsALL 16 novels, with individual contents tablesImages of how the books were first published, giving your eReader a taste of the original textsAll the novels, including all four volumes of A CHRONICLE OF OUR OWN TIMES, available in no other collectionExcellent formatting of the textsAll the shorter fiction, with rare tales appearing here for the first time in digital printSpecial chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry and the short storiesEasily locate the poems or short stories you want to readIncludes France's seminal historical study of Joan of ArcSpecial criticism section, with 8 essays and articles evaluating France's contribution to literatureScholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genresPlease visit delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titlesCONTENTS:The NovelsTHE CRIME OF SYLVESTRE BONNARDTHE ASPIRATIONS OF JEAN SERVIENHONEY-BEETHAÏSAT THE SIGN OF THE REINE PÉDAUQUETHE OPINIONS OF JEROME COIGNARDTHE RED LILYA CHRONICLE OF OUR OWN TIMES I: THE ELM-TREE ON THE MALLA CHRONICLE OF OUR OWN TIMES II: THE WICKER-WORK WOMANA CHRONICLE OF OUR OWN TIMES III: THE AMETHYST RINGA CHRONICLE OF OUR OWN TIMES IV: MONSIEUR BERGERET IN PARISA MUMMER'S TALETHE WHITE STONEPENGUIN ISLANDTHE GODS ARE ATHIRSTTHE REVOLT OF THE ANGELSThe Shorter FictionJOCASTA AND THE FAMISHED CATBALTHASAR AND OTHER WORKSMOTHER OF PEARLTHE WELL OF SAINT CLARECLIOCRAINQUEBILLE, PUTOIS, RIQUET AND OTHER PROFITABLE TALESTHE MERRIE TALES OF JACQUES TOURNEBROCHETHE SEVEN WIVES OF BLUEBEARD AND OTHER MARVELLOUS TALESCHILD LIFE IN TOWN AND COUNTRYMISCELLANEOUS STORIESThe Short StoriesLIST OF SHORT STORIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDERLIST OF SHORT STORIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDERThe PlaysCRAINQUEBILLETHE COMEDY OF A MAN WHO MARRIED A DUMB WIFECOME WHAT MAYThe PoetryLIST OF POETICAL WORKSThe Non-FictionTHE LIFE OF JOAN OF ARCThe CriticismANATOLE FRANCE — 1904 by Joseph ConradANATOLE FRANCE by Arnold BennettHOMAGE TO ANATOLE FRANCE by John GalsworthyANATOLE FRANCE by John Cowper PowysANATOLE FRANCE by Robert LyndTHE WISDOM OF ANATOLE FRANCE by John Middleton MurryANATOLE FRANCE by George BrandesANATOLE FRANCE by Winifred StephensPlease visit delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles
Sunlit hours found their affection glimmering, while moonlit nights ignited reckless desire. But when Brandon learned his beloved might last only half a year, he coolly handed Millie divorce papers, murmuring, "This is all for appearances; we'll get married again once she's calmed down." Millie, spine straight and cheeks dry, felt her pulse go hollow. The sham split grew permanent; she quietly ended their unborn child and stepped into a new beginning. Brandon unraveled, his car tearing down the street, unwilling to let go of the woman he'd discarded, pleading for her to look back just once.
If desire were a blade, their first encounter left him bleeding in silence. He'd built a life on peril and pleasure, armor forged from recklessness, never imagining a woman could make him lower his guard. But even with the truth veiled in lies, he was already in too deep-entangled in the game, and captivated by the player.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
I was four months pregnant, a photographer excited for our future, attending a sophisticated baby brunch. Then I saw him, my husband Michael, with another woman, and a newborn introduced as "his son." My world shattered as a torrent of betrayal washed over me, magnified by Michael's dismissive claim I was "just being emotional." His mistress, Serena, taunted me, revealing Michael had discussed my pregnancy complications with her, then slapped me, causing a terrifying cramp. Michael sided with her, publicly shaming me, demanding I leave "their" party, as a society blog already paraded them as a "picture-perfect family." He fully expected me to return, to accept his double life, telling his friends I was "dramatic" but would "always come back." The audacity, the calculated cruelty of his deception, and Serena's chilling malice, fueled a cold, hard rage I barely recognized. How could I have been so blind, so trusting of the man who gaslighted me for months while building a second family? But on the plush carpet of that lawyer's office, as he turned his back on me, a new, unbreakable resolve solidified. They thought I was broken, disposable, easily manipulated – a "reasonable" wife who would accept a sham separation. They had no idea my calm acceptance was not surrender; it was strategy, a quiet promise to dismantle everything he held dear. I would not be handled; I would not understand; I would end this, and make sure their perfect family charade crumbled into dust.
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