theysaid;butitwasalittletoostrongforme,andbesides,iwasobligedtomountuponmyvisittoole.

"it'smoving-daytoday,"hesaid;"streetsandhousesarelikeadust-bin-alargedust-bin;buti'mcontentwithacartload.imaygetsomethinggoodoutofthat,andireallydidgetsomethinggoodoutofitonce.shortlyafterchristmasiwasgoingupthestreet;itwasroughweather,wetanddirty-therightkindofweathertocatchcoldin.thedustmanwastherewithhiscart,whichwasfull,andlookedlikeasampleofstreetsonmoving-day.atthebackofthecartstoodafirtree,quitegreenstill,andwithtinselonitstwigs;ithadbeenusedonchristmaseve,andnowitwasthrownoutintothestreet,andthedustmanhadstooditupatthebackofhiscart.itwasdrolltolookat,oryoumaysayitwasmournful-alldependsonwhatyouthinkofwhenyouseeit;andithoughtaboutit,andthoughtthisandthatofmanythingsthatwereinthecart:orimighthavedoneso,andthatcomestothesamething.therewasanoldlady'sglove,too:iwonderwhatthatwasthinkingof?shallitellyou?theglovewaslyingthere,pointingwithitslittlefingeratthetree.'i'msorryforthetree,'itthought;'andiwasalsoatthefeast,wherethechandeliersglittered.mylifewas,sotospeak,aballnight-apressureofthehand,andiburst!mymemorykeepsdwellinguponthat,andihavereallynothingelsetolivefor!'thisiswhattheglovethought,orwhatitmighthavethought.'that'sastupidaffairwithyonderfirtree,'saidthepotsherds.yousee,potsherdsthinkeverythingisstupid.'whenoneisinthedust-cart,'theysaid,'oneoughtnottogiveone'sselfairsandweartinsel.iknowthatihavebeenusefulintheworld-farmoreusefulthansuchagreenstick.'thiswasaviewthatmightbetaken,andidon'tthinkitquiteapeculiarone;butforallthat,thefirtreelookedverywell:itwaslikealittlepoetryinthedust-heap;andtrulythereisdustenoughinthestreetsonmoving-day.thewayisdifficultandtroublesomethen,andifeelobligedtorunawayoutoftheconfusion;or,ifiamonthetower,istaythereandlookdown,anditisamusingenough.

"therearethegoodpeoplebelow,playingat'changinghouses.'theytoilandtugawaywiththeirgoodsandchattels,andthehouseholdgoblinsitsinanoldtubandmoveswiththem.allthelittlegriefsofthelodgingandthefamily,andtherealcaresandsorrows,movewiththemoutoftheolddwellingintothenew;andwhatgainisthereforthemorforusinthewholeaffair?yes,therewaswrittenlongagothegoodoldmaxim:'thinkonthegreatmoving-dayofdeath!'thatisaseriousthought.ihopeitisnotdisagreeabletoyouthatishouldhavetoucheduponit?deathisthemostcertainmessenger,afterall,inspiteofhisvariousoccupations.yes,deathistheomnibusconductor,andheisthepassportwriter,andhecountersignsourservice-book,andheisdirectorofthesavingsbankoflife.doyouunderstandme?allthedeedsofourlife,thegreatandthelittlealike,weputintothissavingsbank;andwhendeathcallswithhisomnibus,andwehavetostepin,anddrivewithhimintothelandofeternity,thenonthefrontierhegivesusourservice-bookasapass.asaprovisionforthejourney,hetakesthisorthatgooddeedwehavedone,andletsitaccompanyus;andthismaybeverypleasantorveryterrific.nobodyhaseverescapedtheomnibusjourney.thereiscertainlyatalkaboutonewhowasnotallowedtogo-theycallhimthewanderingjew:hehastoridebehindtheomnibus.ifhehadbeenallowedtogetin,hewouldhaveescapedtheclutchesofthepoets.

"justcastyourmind'seyeintothatgreatomnibus.thesocietyismixed,forkingandbeggar,geniusandidiot,sitsidebyside.theymustgowithouttheirpropertyandmoney;theyhaveonlytheservice-bookandthegiftoutofthesavingsbankwiththem.butwhichofourdeedsisselectedandgiventous?