I Loved a German by Anton H. Tammsaare

Author:Anton H. Tammsaare [Tammsaare, Anton H. & Moseley, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Psychological, Romance, General, Historical, 20th Century
ISBN: 9781908251831
Google: 7MM3tAEACAAJ
Amazon: 1908251832
Publisher: Vagabond Voices
Published: 2018-08-14T23:00:00+00:00

“But what is actually holy these days?” he asked. “What do you regard as holy? Tell me, for example: do you believe in God, the source of all that’s holy? Do you believe in him in any form at all? Do you feel in your heart anything eternal and limitlessly great, before which you want, once a day, a week, a month, even a year to sink to the ground with all your being, repent of your mistakes in all seriousness, trying to become a better person in the future? Don’t think I’m asking you for my own sake; I’m not much interested any more in the people of today and their gods and sanctities. Some things that have come from the past are much more alive to me than the people of today and their gods. I am only asking for the sake of her whose hand you are asking me and whom you say you love above all things in the world. So answer me with the voice of your heart’s blood, as you would answer her: do you have any basis for holiness, as I explained it to you? Do you ever fall to the ground before it?”

“Not quite that, but…“ I made to reply.

“So you don’t!” he intervened. “With you and God it’s the same story as with you and the corporation: he does exist and he doesn’t. But by what holy thing do you want to swear that you’re asking for Erika’s hand for life? Your parents’ god is dead for you, your forefathers’ idols have become indifferent and their traditions ridiculous. Of course your forefathers did have traditions, I know that – but what will you have to support you, what do you have to hold on to? How will you convince me that I should entrust you with the fate of the one who’s dearest to me?”

“Herr Baron, you’re asking more of me for the hand of your grandchild than any young man of today can promise you, if he is as honest and open with you as I am. I’m sure that the same change is going on among your young people, the same development, the same ruination, if you want to call it that, as you tried to find in me, but you wouldn’t refuse the hand of your grandchild to a young man in your own circle.”

“Of course I wouldn’t,” he replied with an obvious lack of hesitation.

“So the basic reason for your objection is that I’m an Estonian, then?” I concluded.

“That is so, and yet it isn’t,” he said. “Your conclusion is off the mark, because, apart from the love that you keep praising, you think more of yourself than of your beloved. Have you ever really tried to imagine what would happen if you married my grandchild? Perhaps you’ll forgive me, but now finally I come to things that maybe we should pass over in silence. But the question is important to both you and me, so let us say everything there is to say now.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.