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Great-Grandfather曾祖父Great-Grandfatherwassolovablewiseandgood.AllofuslookeduptoGreat-Grandfather.AsfarbackasIcanrememberhewasreallycalled〃FathersFather,/andMothersFatheraswellbutwhenmyBrotherFrederickslittlesoncamealonghewaspromotedandgotthetitleof^Great-Grandfather.〃Hecouldnotexpecttogoanyhigherthanthat.Hewasveryfondofusallbuthedidnotappeartobefondofourtimes.Oldtimeswerethegoodtimes,zheusedtosay.Quietandgenuinetheywere.Inthesedaystherestoomuchhurryingandturningeverythingupsidedown.TheyoungfolklaydownthelawandevenspeakabouttheKingsasiftheyaretheirequals.Anyneer-do-wellcansoparagindirtywaterandwringitoutovertheheadofanhonorableman.,zGreat-Grandfatherwouldgetangryandredinthefacewhenhetalkedofsuchthingsbutsoonhewouldsmilehiskindlysympatheticsmileandsay〃0hwell!Imaybeabitwrong.IbelongtotheolddaysandIcan,tquitegetafootholdinthenew.MayGodguideusandshowustherightwaytogo.〃WhenGreat-Grandfathergotstartedontheolddaysitseemedtomeasiftheycameback.Iwouldimaginemyselfridingalonginagildedcoachwithfootmeninfinelivery.Isawtheguildsmovetheirsignsandmarchinprocessionwiththeirbannersaloftprecededbymusic.AndIattendedthemerryChristmasfestivitieswherepeopleinfancydressplayedgamesofforfeit.Trueenoughintheolddaysdreadfullycruelandhorriblethingsusedtobedone.Therewastorturerackandwheelandbloodshedbuteventhesehorriblethingshadanexcitementaboutthemthatfascinatedme.ButIalsothoughtofmanypleasantthings.IusedtoimaginehowthingswerewhentheDanishnobilityfreedthepeasantsandwhentheDanishCrownPrinceabolishedslavetrading.ItwasmarveloustohearGreat-Grandfathertalkofallthesethingsandtohearhimtellofthedaysofhisyouth.ButIthinkthetimesevenearlierthanthatweretheverybesttimesofall-somightyandglorious.“Theywerebarbaroustimes〃BrotherFredericksaid.Thankheavenwearewellridofthem.z/HeusedtosaythisrightouttoGreat-Grandfather.ThiswasmostimproperIknowbutjustthesameIalwayshadgreatrespectforFrederick.Hewasmyoldestbrotherandheusedtosayhewasoldenoughtobemyfather-butthenhewasalwayssayingtheoddestthings.HehadgraduatedwiththehighesthonorsandwassoquickandcleverinhisworkatFathersofficethatFathermeanttomakehimapartnerbeforelong.OfusallhewastheonewithwhomGreat-Grandfathertalkedmostbuttheyalwaysbegantoarguefortheydidnotgetalongwelltogether.TheydidnotunderstandeachotherthosetwoandthefamilysaidtheyneverwouldbutevenasyoungasIwasIsoonfeltthattheywereindispensabletoeachother.Great-GrandfatherwouldlistenwiththebrightestlookinhiseyeswhileFrederickspokeoforreadaloudaboutscientificprogressandnewdiscoveriesinthelawsofnatureandaboutalltheothermarvelsofourtimes.“Thehumanracegetsclevererbutitdoesn,tgetbetterz,Great-Grandfatherwouldsay.Peopleinventthemostterribleandharmfulweaponswithwhichtokillandinjureeachother.,z“Thenthewarwillbeoverthatmuchsooner,zFrederickwouldtellhim.〃Noneednowforustowaitsevenyearsfortheblessingsofpeace.Theworldisfull-bloodedanditneedstobeblednowandthen.Thatisanecessity.”OnedayFredericktoldhimofsomethingthatactuallyhappenedinasmallcountryandinourowntimes.Themayor,sclock-thelargeoneonthetownhall-kepttimeforthewholetownandforeveryonewholivedthere.Theclockdidnotrunverywellbutthatdidn,tmatternordiditkeepanyonefromlookingtoitforthetime.Butbyandbyrailroadswerebuiltinthatcountryandinallcountriesrailroadsrunbytheclock.Onemustthereforebesureofthetimeandknowitexactlyortherewillbecollisions.Attherailroadstationtheyhadaclockthatwasabsolutelyreliableandexactlyinaccordwiththesun.Butasthemayor,swasnoteveryonewentbytherailroadclock.IlaughedandthoughtthestoryafunnyonebutGreat-Grandfatherdidnotlaugh.Hebecameveryserious.“Thereisaprofoundmeaninginwhatyouhavetoldme〃hedeclared“andIunderstoodthethoughtthatpromptedyoutotellmethestory.There,samoralintheclockwork.Itremindsmeofanotherclock-myparents,simpleold-fashionedBornholmclockwithleadweights.Itmeasuredoutthetimeoftheirlivesandofmychildhood.Perhapsitdidn,trunanytoowellbutitranjustthesame.Wewouldlookatthehourhandandbelieveinitwithneverathoughtabouttheworksinside.Inthosedaysthemachineryofgovernmentwaslikethatoldclock.Everybodybelievedinitandonlylookedatthehourhand.Nowgovernmentmachineryislikeaclockinaglasscasesothatonecanlookdirectlyintotheworksandseethewheelsturningandwhizzingaround.SometimeswebecomequitefrightenedoverthisspringorthatwheelandthenIwonderhowitispossibleforallthesecomplicatedpartstotelltherighttime.Ihavelostmychildishbeliefintherightnessoftheoldclock.Thatistheweaknessofthisage.〃Great-Grandfatherwouldtalkonuntilhebecamequiteangry.HeandFrederickcouldnotagreeyettheycouldnotbeartobeseparated-justlikeoldtimesandnew.〃Bothofthemfeltthis-andsodidourwholefamily-whenFrederickwastosetoutonhisjourneytofar-awayAmerica.ItwasonbusinessfortheCompanysothejourneyhadtobemade.ToGreat-Grandfatheritwasasadpartinganditseemedalonglongjourney-allthewayacrossagreatoceanandtotheothersideoftheglobe.“YoushallgetaletterfrommeeveryfortnightFrederickpromised.Andfasterthananylettercangoyoushallhearfrommebytelegraph.Thedayswillbelikehoursandthehourslikeminutes.〃BytelegraphwereceivedFredericksgreetingtousfromEnglandjustasheboardedthesteamship.SoonerthananylettercouldreachuseventhoughtheswiftsailingcloudshadbeenourpostmancamegreetingsfromAmericawhereFrederickhadlandedonlyafewhoursbefore.“Whatagloriousanddivineinspirationhasbeengrantedourage〃saidGreat-Grandfather.〃Itisatrueblessingtothehumanrace.〃“Anditwasinourcountryz,Isaid“thatthenaturalprincipleunderlyingthetelegraphwasfirstunderstoodandstated.Fredericktoldmeso.〃“Yes〃Great-Grandfathersaidandhekissedme.〃YesandIoncelookedintothekindlyeyesthatwerethefirsttoseeandunderstandthismarvelouslawofnature-hisweretheeyesofachildlikeyours-andIhaveshakenhishand.〃Thenhekissedmeagain.MorethanamonthhadgonebywhenalettercamefromFrederickwiththenewsthathewasengagedtoabeautifulandlovableyounglady.Hewassurethateveryoneinourfamilywouldbedelightedwithherandhesentusherphotograph.Welookedatitfirstwithourbareeyesandthenwithamagnifyingglassfortheadvantageofphotographsisnotonlythattheystandcloseinspectionthroughthestrongestglassbutthatthenyouseethefulllikenessevenbetter.Nopainterhaseverbeenabletodothateveninthegreatestoftheagespast.“Ifonlythisdiscoveryhadbeenmadeearlierthenwecouldhaveseentheworld,sgreatestandmostillustriousmenfacetoface.Howgentleandgoodthisyounggirllooksz,Great-Grandfathersaidandstaredthroughtheglass.“NowIknowherfaceandIshallrecognizeherthemomentshecomesinthedoor.〃Butthatverynearlyfailedtohappen.Fortunatelyathomewedidnothearofthedangeruntilithadpassed.AfterasafeandpleasanttriptheyoungcouplereachedEngland.FromtheretheyweretocomebysteamshiptoCopenhagen.WhentheycameinsightoftheDanishcoast-thewhitesanddunesalongthewesternshoreofJutland-aheavyseaaroseanddashedtheshipagainsttheshore.Theenormouswavesthreatenedtobreakthegroundedshipinpieces.Nolifeboatcouldreachthem.Nightfellbutoutofthedarknessburstabrightlyflashingrocketfromtheshore.Itshotfaroutoverthegroundedshipandbroughtalinetothoseonboard.Oncethisconnectionbetweenshipandshorewasmadefastarescuebuoywascarefullydrawnthroughtheroughtumultuousseatotheshore.Initwasalovelyyoungwomansafeandsoundandmarvelouslyhappywhensheandheryounghusbandagainstoodtogetherontheshore.Everysoulonboardwassavedbeforethebreakofday.HereinCopenhagenweweresoundasleepdreamingneitherofgriefnorofdanger.WhenweweregatheredatthebreakfasttableweheardarumorthatanEnglishsteamshiphadbeenwreckedonthewestcoast.Wegrewheartsickwithanxietybutwithinanhourwereceivedatelegramfromthosewhoweredeartous.Frederickandhisyoungbrideweresaved-theywouldsoonbewithus.EveryonecriedandIcriedtoo.Great-Grandfathercriedandclaspedhishands.IamsurehegavethanksfortheageinwhichweliveforthatverydayhegavetwohundreddollarstowardraisingamonumenttoHansChristianOersted.WhenFrederickcamehomewithhisbrideandheardofithesaid“ThatwasrightGreat-Grandfather.NowletmereadtoyouwhatOerstedwroteagreatmanyyearsagoabouttheoldtimesandthenew.〃。