Another novel landed in his lap during this same period: ‘The Pastoral Symphony’ by André Gide. It soon became clear that it closely resembled the Thaïs novel. It told the story of a priest who helped a blind girl he had found so neglected, deprived of care, and unable to communicate with others that she had become mentally disabled, her life increasingly resembling that of an animal. The priest believed that his religious duty and love for Christ obligated him to rescue the girl from her wretched life and to educate her. His success was resounding: the girl bloomed, flourished, and started to talk, mastering the art of communicating with others. She loved her caretaker in a pure way, adored nature, and tried to savour its beauty, even though she couldn’t see it, and she learned to play mu
