by　example　and　by　gentleness　than　by　any　other　means；　and　we　believe
  that　God　will　specially　help　us　in　this。　All　constraint　is　bad。　Of　the
  manifold　Parisian　miseries；　the　most　difficult　to　discover；　and　the
  bitterest；　is　that　of　worthy　persons　of　the　middle　classes　who　have
  fallen　into　poverty；　for　they　make　concealment　a　point　of　honor。　Those
  sorrows；　my　dear　Godefroid；　are　to　us　the　object　of　special
  solicitude。　Such　persons　usually　have　intelligence　and　good　hearts。
  They　return　to　us；　sometimes　with　usury；　the　sums　that　we　lend　them。
  Such　restitutions　recoup　us　in　the　long　run　for　the　losses　we
  occasionally　incur　through　impostors；　shiftless　creatures；　or　those
  whom　misfortunes　have　rendered　stupid。　Through　such　persons　we　often
  obtain　invaluable　help　in　our　investigations。　Our　work　has　now　become
  so　vast；　its　details　are　so　multifarious；　that　we　no　longer　suffice　of
  ourselves　to　carry　it　on。　So；　for　the　last　year　we　have　a　physician　of
  our　own　in　every　arrondissement　in　Paris。　Each　of　us　takes　general
  charge　of　four　arrondissements。　We　pay　each　physician　three　thousand
  francs　a　year　to　take　care　of　our　poor。　His　time　belongs　to　us　in　the
  first　instance；　but　we　do　not　prevent　him　from　attending　other　sick
  persons　if　he　can。　Would　you　believe　that　for　many　months　we　were
  unable　to　find　twelve　really　trustworthy；　valuable　men；　in　spite　of
  all　our　own　efforts　and　those　of　our　friends？　We　could　not　employ　any
  but　men　of　absolute　discreetness；　pure　lives；　sound　knowledge；
  experience；　active　men；　and　lovers　of　doing　good。　Now；　although　there
  are　in　Paris　some　ten　thousand　individuals；　more　or　less；　who　would
  gladly　do　the　work；　we　could　not　find　twelve　to　meet　our　needs　in　a
  whole　year。〃
  〃Our　Saviour　had　difficulty　in　gathering　his　apostles；　and　even　then　a
  traitor　and　an　unbeliever　got　among　them；〃　said　Godefroid。
  〃However；　within　the　last　month　all　our　arrondissements　are　provided
  with　a　Visitorthat　is　the　name　we　give　to　our　physicians。　At　the
  same　time　the　business　is　increasing；　and　we　have　all　redoubled　our
  activity。　If　I　confide　to　you　these　secrets　of　our　system；　it　is　that
  you　must　know　the　physician；　that　is；　the　Visitor　of　the
  arrondissement　to　which　we　are　about　to　send　you；　from　him；　all
  original　information　about　our　cases　comes。　This　Visitor　is　named
  Berton；　Doctor　Berton；　he　lives　in　the　rue　d'Enfer。　And　now　here　are
  the　facts：　Doctor　Berton　is　attending　a　lady　whose　disease　puzzles　and
  defies　science。　That；　of　course；　is　not　our　concern；　but　that　of　the
  Faculty。　Our　business　is　to　discover　the　condition　of　the　family　of
  this　patient；　Doctor　Berton　suspects　that　their　poverty　is　frightful；
  and　concealed　with　a　pride　and　determination　which　demand　our　utmost
  care。　Until　now；　my　son；　I　should　have　found　time　for　this　case；　but
  the　work　I　am　undertaking　obliges　me　to　find　a　helper　in　my　four
  arrondissements；　and　you　shall　be　that　helper。　This　family　lives　in
  the　rue　Notre…Dame　des　Champs；　in　a　house　at　the　corner　of　the
  boulevard　du　Mont…Parnasse。　You　will　find　a　room　to　let　in　the　same
  house；　where　you　can　live　for　a　time　so　as　to　discover　the　truth　about
  these　persons。　Be　sordid　for　yourself；　but　as　for　the　money　you　may
  think　needed　for　this　case　have　no　uneasiness。　I　will　remit　you　such
  sums　as　we　may　judge　necessary　after　ourselves　considering　all　the
  circumstances。　But　remember　that　you　must　study　the　moral　qualities　of
  these　unfortunates：　their　hearts；　the　honorableness　of　their　feelings；
  those　are　our　guarantees。　Miserly　we　may　be　for　ourselves；　and
  generous　to　those　who　suffer；　but　we　must　be　prudent　and　even
  calculating；　for　we　are　dealing　with　the　money　of　the　poor。　So　then；
  to…morrow　morning　you　can　start；　think　over　the　power　we　put　in　your
  hands：　the　brothers　are　with　you　in　heart。〃
  〃Ah！〃　cried　Godefroid；　〃you　have　given　me　such　a　pleasure　in　the
  opportunity　of　doing　good　and　making　myself　worthy　to　belong　to　you
  some　day；　that　I　shall　not　sleep　to…night。〃
  〃One　more　word；　my　child。　I　told　you　not　to　recognize　me　without　the
  signal；　the　same　rule　applies　to　the　other　gentlemen　and　to　Madame；
  and　even　to　the　people　you　see　about　this　house。　We　are　forced　to　keep
  up　an　absolute　incognito　in　all　we　do；　this　is　so　necessary　to　our
  enterprises　that　we　have　made　a　rule　about　it。　We　seek　to　be　ignored；
  lost　in　this　great　Paris。　Remember　also；　my　dear　Godefroid；　the　spirit
  of　our　order；　which　is；　never　to　appear　as　benefactors；　to　play　an
  obscure　part；　that　of　intermediaries。　We　always　present　ourselves　as
  the　agent　of　a　pious；　saintly　person　（in　fact；　we　are　working　for
  God）；　so　that　none　of　those　we　deal　with　may　feel　the　obligation　of
  gratitude　towards　any　of　us；　or　think　we　are　wealthy　persons。　True；
  sincere　humility；　not　the　false　humility　of　those　who　seek　thereby　to
  be　set　in　the　light；　must　inspire　you　and　rule　all　your　thoughts。　You
  may　indeed　be　glad　when　you　succeed；　but　so　long　as　you　feel　within
  you　a　sentiment　of　vanity　or　of　pride；　you　are　not　worthy　to　do　the
  work　of　the　order。　We　have　known　two　perfect　men：　one；　who　was　one　of
  our　founders；　Judge　Popinot；　the　other　is　revealed　by　his　works；　he　is
  a　country　doctor　whose　name　is　written　on　the　annals　of　his　canton。
  That　man；　my　dear　Godefroid；　is　one　of　the　greatest　men　of　our　time；
  he　brought　a　whole　region　out　of　wretchedness　into　prosperity；　out　of
  irreligion　into　Christianity；　out　of　barbarism　into　civilization。＇*＇
  The　names　of　those　two　men　are　graven　on　our　hearts　and　we　have　taken
  them　as　our　models。　We　should　be　happy　indeed　if　we　ourselves　could
  some　day　acquire　in　Paris　the　influence　that　country　doctor　had　in　his
  canton。　But　here；　the　sore　is　vast；　beyond　our　strength　at　present。
  May　God　preserve　to　us　Madame；　may　he　send　us　some　young　helpers　like
  you；　and　perhaps　we　may　yet　leave　behind　us　an　institution　worthy　of
  his　divine　religion。　And　now　good…bye；　your　initiation　beginsAh！　I
  chatter　like　a　professor　and　forget　the　essential　thing！　Here　is　the
  address　of　that　family；〃　he　added；　giving　Godefroid　a　piece　of　paper；
  〃I　have　added　the　number　of　Dr。　Berton's　house　in　the　rue　d'Enfer；　and
  now；　go　and　pray　to　God　to　help　you。〃
  ＇*＇　The　Country　Doctor。　Little；　Brown　&　Co。；　Boston。
  ＇I　assume　the　〃Little；　Brown　&　Co。〃　is　a　reference　to　a　publisher。　I
  will　remove　this　in　the　finished　version　of　the　text。　Elsewhere　she
  has　used　a　different　method　of　indicating　a　reference　to　another　work
  in　La　Comedie。JB。＇
  Godefroid　took　the　old　man's　hands　and　pressed　them　tenderly；　wishing
  him　good…night；　and　assuring　him　he　would　not　neglect　a　single　point
  of　his　advice。
  〃All　that　you　have　said　to　me；〃　he　added；　〃is　graven　in　my　memory
  forever。〃
  The　old　man　smiled；　expressing　no　doubts；　then　he　rose；　to　kneel　in
  his　accustomed　place。　Godefroid　retired；　joyful　in　at　last　sharing　the
  mysteries　of　that　house　and　in　having　an　occupation；　which；　feeling　as
  he　did　then；　was　to　him　an　untold　pleasure。
  The　next　day　at　breakfast；　Monsieur　Alain's　place　was　vacant；　but　no
  one　remarked　upon　it；　Godefroid　made　no　allusion　to　the　cause　of　his
  absence；　neither　did　any　one　question　him　as　to　the　mission　the　old
  man　had　entrusted　to　him；　he　thus　took　his　first　lesson　in
  discreetness。　Nevertheless；　after　breakfast；　he　did　take　Madame　de　la
  Chanterie　apart　and　told　her　that　he　should　be　absent　for　some　days。
  〃That　is　good；　my　child；〃　replied　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　〃try　to　do
  honor　to　your　godfather；　who　has　answered　for　you　to　his　brothers。〃
  Godefroid　bade　adieu　to　the　three　remaining　brethren；　who　made　him　an
  affectionate　bow；　by　which　they　seemed　to　bless　his　entrance　upon　a
  painful　career。
  ASSOCIATION；　one　of　the　greatest　social　forces；　and　that　which　made
  the　Europe　of　the　middle…ages；　rests　on　principles　which；　since　1792；
  no　longer　exist　in　France；　where　the　Individual　has　now　triumphed　over
  the　State。　Association　requires；　in　the　first　place；　a　self…devotion
  that　is　not　understood　in　our　day；　also　a　guileless　faith　which　is
  contrary　to　the　spirit　of　the　nation；　and　lastly；　a　discipline　against
  which　men　in　these　days　revolt　and　which　the　Catholic　religion　alone
  can　enforce。　The　moment　an　association　is　formed　among　us；　each
  member；　returning　to　his　own　home　from　an　assembly　where　noble
  sentiments　have　been　proclaimed；　thinks　of　making　his　own　bed　out　of
  that　collective　devotion；　that　union　of　forces；　and　of　milking　to　his
  own　profit　the　common　cow；　which；　not　being　able　to　supply　so　many
  individual　demands；　dies　exhausted。
  Who　knows　how　many　generous　sentiments　were　blasted；　how　many　fruitful
  germs　may　have　perished；　lost　to　the　nation　through　the　infamous
  deceptions　of　the　French　Carbonari；　the　patriotic　subscriptions　to　the
  Champ　d'Asile；　and　other　political　deceptions　which　ought　to　have　been
  grand　and　noble　dramas；　and　proved　to　be　the　farces　and　the　melodramas
  of　police　courts。　It　is　the　same　with　industrial　association　as　it　is
  with　political　association。　Love　of　self　is　substituted　for　the　love
  of　collective　bodies。　The　corporations　and　the　Hanse　leagues　of　the
  middle…ages；　/to　which　we　shall　some　day　return/；　are　still
  impossible。　Consequently；　the　only　societies　which　actually　exist　are
  those　of　religious