1984

           ‘Iexpectyouwereabeastlylittleswineinthosedays,’shesaidindistinctly. ‘Allchildrenareswine.’ 

           ‘Yes.Buttherealpointofthestory——’ 

           Fromherbreathingitwasevidentthatshewasgoingofftosleepagain. Hewouldhavelikedtocontinuetalkingabouthismother. Hedidnotsuppose,fromwhathecouldrememberofher,thatshehadbeenanunusualwoman,stilllessanintelligentone; andyetshehadpossessedakindofnobility,akindofpurity,simplybecausethestandardsthatsheobeyedwereprivateones. Herfeelingswereherown,andcouldnotbealteredfromoutside. Itwouldnothaveoccurredtoherthatanactionwhichisineffectualtherebybecomesmeaningless. Ifyoulovedsomeone,youlovedhim,andwhenyouhadnothingelsetogive,youstillgavehimlove. Whenthelastofthechocolatewasgone,hismotherhadclaspedthechildinherarms. Itwasnouse,itchangednothing,itdidnotproducemorechocolate,itdidnotavertthechild’sdeathorherown;butitseemednaturaltohertodoit. Therefugeewomanintheboathadalsocoveredthelittleboywithherarm,whichwasnomoreuseagainstthebulletsthanasheetofpaper. TheterriblethingthatthePartyhaddonewastopersuadeyouthatmereimpulses,merefeelings,wereofnoaccount,whileatthesametimerobbingyouofallpoweroverthematerialworld. WhenonceyouwereinthegripoftheParty,whatyoufeltordidnotfeel,whatyoudidorrefrainedfromdoing,madeliterallynodifference. Whateverhappenedyouvanished,andneitheryounoryouractionswereeverheardofagain. Youwereliftedcleanoutofthestreamofhistory. Andyettothepeopleofonlytwogenerationsagothiswouldnothaveseemedall-important,becausetheywerenotattemptingtoalterhistory.