Портрет художника в юности
Chapter 1
Itpainedhimthathedidnotknowwellwhatpoliticsmeantandthathedidnotknowwheretheuniverseended.Hefeltsmallandweak.Whenwouldhebelikethefellowsinpoetryandrhetoric?Theyhadbigvoicesandbigbootsandtheystudiedtrigonometry.Thatwasveryfaraway.Firstcamethevacationandthenthenexttermandthenvacationagainandthenagainanothertermandthenagainthevacation.Itwaslikeatraingoinginandoutoftunnelsandthatwaslikethenoiseoftheboyseatingintherefectorywhenyouopenedandclosedtheflapsoftheears.Term,vacation;tunnel,out;noise,stop.Howfarawayitwas!Itwasbettertogotobedtosleep.Onlyprayersinthechapelandthenbed.Heshiveredandyawned.Itwouldbelovelyinbedafterthesheetsgotabithot.Firsttheyweresocoldtogetinto.Heshiveredtothinkhowcoldtheywerefirst.Butthentheygothotandthenhecouldsleep.Itwaslovelytobetired.Heyawnedagain.Nightprayersandthenbed:heshiveredandwantedtoyawn.Itwouldbelovelyinafewminutes.Hefeltawarmglowcreepingupfromthecoldshiveringsheets,warmerandwarmertillhefeltwarmallover,eversowarmandyetheshiveredalittleandstillwantedtoyawn.
Thebellrangfornightprayersandhefiledoutofthestudyhallaftertheothersanddownthestaircaseandalongthecorridorstothechapel.Thecorridorsweredarklylitandthechapelwasdarklylit.Soonallwouldbedarkandsleeping.