Чума
Part I
Inourlittletown,perhapsbecauseoftheclimate,allthesethingsaredonetogether,withthesamefrenziedandabstractedair.Thatistosaythatpeopleareboredandthattheymakeanefforttoadoptcertainhabits.Ourfellow-citizensworkagooddeal,butalwaysinordertomakemoney.Theyareespeciallyinterestedintradeandfirstofall,astheysay,theyareengagedindoingbusiness.Naturally,theyalsoenjoysimplepleasures:theylovewomen,thecinemaandseabathing.ButtheyverysensiblykeeptheseactivitiesforSaturdayeveningandSunday,whiletryingonotherdaysoftheweektoearnalotofmoney.Intheevenings,whentheyleavetheiroffices,theygatheratasettimeincafes,theywalkalongthesameboulevardorelsetheycomeoutontheirbalconies.Thedesiresoftheyoungestamongthemareshortandviolent,whilethelivesoftheireldersarelimitedtoclubsforplayersofboules,dinnersoffriendlyassociationsorgroupswheretheybetheavilyontheturnofacard.
Youwillsaynodoubtthatthisisnotpeculiartoourtownandthat,whenitcomesdowntoit,peopletodayarealllikethat.Ofcourse,thereisnothingmorenormalnowadaysthantoseepeopleworkfrommorningtoevening,thenchoosetowastethetimetheyhaveleftforlivingatcards,inacafeorinidlechatter.Buttherearetownsandcountrieswherepeopledooccasionallyhaveaninklingofsomethingelse.Onthewhole,itdoesnotchangetheirlives;buttheydidhavethisinkling,andthatispositiveinitself.
