This could have very easily been part of the last chapter, but here Hugo extends and belabors the point that M. Myriel, his sister and their servant lived very simple lives that minimized cost and maximized their ability to give of their time and money. The main focus seems to be the fact that Myriel would wear his cassocks so long that he would often wear a coat over them regardless of weather to hide just how threadbare they were. This little anecdote seems to have the intent of reinforcing just how frugal and selfless Myriel’s lifestyle was. Though some of this information is redundant or superfluous, the chapter focuses more pointedly on what Myriel’s day to day life actually looked like, and some of that information is new.
In the context of describing his day, Hugo tells us that when Myriel had “free” time he would spend it “gardening”: both in his actual garden, and in the form of reading and writing, for as Myriel is quoted as saying “the soul is a garden”. That language resonates deeply with me. There is something about the way we grow as people that is different from “building” or “making” and far more like tending a garden. In one sense this exercise is a bit of “gardening” soul care for me. I’m less interested in whether or not others find value in these short reflections, and more interested in the exercise of settings aside a few minutes every day to read and reflect in a somewhat structured way. It’s good for me, even if I was just jotting these things in a journal.
So Myriel, I get it. I need more time working in the garden. Real dirt and the dirt of my own soul. Both types would be good.