unto this last-第18节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





they　should　〃remain　content　in　the　station　in　which　Providence



has　placed　them。〃　There　are　perhaps　some　circumstances　of　life　in



which　Providence　has　no　intention　that　people　should　be　content。



Nevertheless；　the　maxim　is　on　the　whole　a　good　one；　but　it　is



peculiarly　for　home　use。　That　your　neighbour　should；　or　should



not；　remain　content　with　his　position；　is　not　your　business；　but



it　is　very　much　your　business　to　remain　content　with　your　own。



What　is　chiefly　needed　in　England　at　the　present　day　is　to　show



the　quantity　of　pleasure　that　may　be　obtained　by　a　consistent；



well…administered　competence；　modest；　confessed；　and　laborious。



We　need　examples　of　people　who；　leaving　Heaven　to　decide　whether



they　are　to　rise　in　the　world；　decide　for　them　selves　that　they



will　be　happy　in　it；　and　have　resolved　to　seek…not　greater



wealth；　but　simpler　pleasure；　not　higher　fortune；　but　deeper



felicity；　making　the　first　of　possessions；　self…possession；　and



honouring　themselves　in　the　harmless　pride　and　calm　pursuits　of



piece。



　　　　Of　which　lowly　peace　it　is　written　that　〃justice〃　and　peace



have　kissed　each　other；〃　and　that　the　fruit　of　justice　is　〃　sown



in　peace　of　them　that　make　peace；〃　not　〃peace…makers〃　in　the



common　understanding　　reconcilers　of　quarrels；　（though　that



function　also　follows　on　the　greater　one；）　but　peace…Creators；



Givers　of　Calm。　Which　you　cannot　give；　unless　you　first　gain；　nor



is　this　gain　one　which　will　follow　assuredly　on　any　course　of



business；　commonly　so　called。　No　form　of　gain　is　less　probable；



business　being　（as　is　shown　in　the　language　of　all　nations　



polein　from　pelo；　prasis　from　perao；　venire；　vendre；　and　venal；



from　venio；　&c。）　essentially　restless　　and　probably



contentious；　　having　a　raven…like　mind　to　the　motion　to　and



fro；　as　to　the　carrion　food；　whereas　the　olive…feeding　and



bearing　birds　look　for　rest　for　their　feet：　thus　it　is　said　of



Wisdom　that　she　〃hath　builded　her　house；　and　hewn　out　her　seven



pillars；〃　and　even　when；　though　apt　to　wait　long　at　the



door…posts；　she　has　to　leave　her　house　and　go　abroad；　her　paths



are　peace　also。



　　　　For　us；　at　all　events；　her　work　must　begin　at　the　entry　of



the　doors：　all　true　economy　is　〃Law　of　the　house。〃　Strive　to　make



that　law　strict；　simple；　generous：　waste　nothing；　and　grudge



nothing。　Care　in　nowise　to　make　more　of　money；　but　care　to　make



much　of　it；　remembering　always　the　great；　palpable；　inevitable



fact　　the　rule　and　root　of　all　economy　　that　what　one　person



has；　another　cannot　have；　and　that　every　atom　of　substance；　of



whatever　kind；　used　or　consumed；　is　so　much　human　life　spent；



which；　if　it　issue　in　the　saving　present　life；　or　gaining　more；



is　well　spent；　but　if　not；　is　either　so　much　life　prevented；　or



so　much　slain。　In　all　buying；　consider；　first；　what　condition　of



existence　you　cause　in　the　producers　of　what　you　buy；　secondly；



whether　the　sum　you　have　paid　is　just　to　the　producer；　and　in　due



proportion；　lodged　in　his　hands；（35*）　thirdly；　to　how　much　clear



use；　for　food；　knowledge；　or　joy；　this　that　you　have　bought　can



be　put；　and　fourthly；　to　whom　and　in　what　way　it　can　be　most



speedily　and　serviceably　distributed：　in　all　dealings　whatsoever



insisting　on　entire　openness　and　stern　fulfilment；　and　in　all



doings；　on　perfection　and　loveliness　of　accomplishment；



especially　on　fineness　and　purity　of　all　marketable　commodity：



watching　at　the　same　time　for　all　ways　of　gaining；　or　teaching；



powers　of　simple　pleasure；　and　of　showing　oson　en　asphodelps　geg



oneiar　　the　sum　of　enjoyment　depending　not　on　the　quantity　of



things　tasted；　but　on　the　vivacity　and　patience　of　taste。



　　　　And　if；　on　due　and　honest　thought　over　these　things；　it　seems



that　the　kind　of　existence　to　which　men　are　now　summoned　by　every



plea　of　pity　and　claim　of　right；　may；　for　some　time　at　least；　not



be　a　luxurious　one；　　consider　whether；　even　supposing　it



guiltless；　luxury　would　be　desired　by　any　of　us；　if　we　saw



clearly　at　our　sides　the　suffering　which　accompanies　it　in　the



world。　Luxury　is　indeed　possible　in　the　future　　innocent　and



exquisite；　luxury　for　all；　and　by　the　help　of　all；　but　luxury　at



present　can　only　be　enjoyed　by　the　ignorant；　the　cruelest　man



living　could　not　sit　at　his　feast；　unless　he　sat　blindfold。　Raise



the　veil　boldly；　face　the　light；　and　if；　as　yet；　the　light　of　the



eye　can　only　be　through　tears；　and　the　light　of　the　body　through



sackcloth；　go　thou　forth　weeping；　bearing　precious　seed；　until



the　time　come；　and　the　kingdom；　when　Christ's　gift　of　bread；　and



bequest　of　peace；　shall　be　〃Unto　this　last　as　unto　thee〃；　and



when；　for　earth's　severed　multitudes　of　the　wicked　and　the　weary；



there　shall　be　holier　reconciliation　than　that　of　the　narrow



home；　and　calm　economy；　where　the　Wicked　cease　　not　from



trouble；　but　from　troubling　　and　the　Weary　are　at　rest。











NOTES：







1。　The　difference　between　the　two　modes　of　treatment；　and　between



their　effective　material　results；　may　be　seen　very　accurately　by



a　comparison　of　the　relations　of　Esther　and　Charlie　in　Bleak



House；　with　those　of　Miss　Brass　and　the　Marchioness　in　Master



Humphrey's　Clock。



　　　　The　essential　value　and　truth　of　Dickens's　writings　have　been



unwisely　lost　sight　of　by　many　thoughtful　persons；　merely　because



he　presents　his　truth　with　some　colour　of　caricature。　Unwisely；



because　Dickens's　caricature；　though　often　gross；　is　never



mistaken。　Allowing　for　his　manner　of　telling　them；　the　things　he



tells　us　are　always　true。　I　wish　that　he　could　think　it　right　to



limit　his　brilliant　exaggeration　to　works　written　only　for　public



amusement；　and　when　he　takes　up　a　subject　of　high　national



importance；　such　as　that　which　he　handled　in　Hard　Times；　that　he



would　use　severer　and　more　accurate　analysis。　The　usefulness　of



that　work　（to　my　mind；　in　several　respects；　the　greatest　he　has



written）　is　with　many　persons　seriously　diminished　because　Mr



Bounderby　is　a　dramatic　monster；　instead　of　a　characteristic



example　of　a　worldly　master；　and　Stephen　Blackpool　a　dramatic



perfection；　instead　of　a　characteristic　example　of　an　honest



workman。　But　let　us　not　lose　the　use　of　Dickens's　wit　and



insight；　because　he　chooses　to　speak　in　a　circle　of　stage　fire。



He　is　entirely　right　in　his　main　drift　and　purpose　in　every　book



he　has　written；　and　all　of　them；　but　especially　Hard　Times；



should　be　studied　with　close　and　earnest　care　by　persons



interested　in　social　questions。　They　will　find　much　that　is



partial；　and；　because　partial；　apparently　unjust；　but　if　they



examine　all　the　evidence　on　the　other　side；　which　Dickens　seems



to　overlook；　it　will　appear；　after　all　their　trouble；　that　his



view　was　the　finally　right　one；　grossly　and　sharply　told。　







2。　I　have　been　naturally　asked　several　times；　with　respect　to　the



sentence　in　the　first　of　these　papers；　〃the　bad　workmen



unemployed；〃　〃But　what　are　you　to　do　with　your　bad　unemployed



workmen？〃　Well；　it　seems　to　me　the　question　might　have　occurred



to　you　before。　Your　housemaid's　place　is　vacant　　you　give



twenty　pounds　a　year…two　girls　come　for　it；　one　neatly　dressed；



the　other　dirtily；　one　with　good　recommendations；　the　other　with



none。　You　do　not；　under　these　circumstances；　usually　ask　the



dirty　one　if　she　will　come　for　fifteen　pounds；　or　twelve；　and；　on



her　consenting；　take　her　instead　of　the　well…recommended　one。



Still　less　do　you　try　to　beat　both　down　by　making　them　bid



against　each　other；　till　you　can　hire　both；　one　at　twelve　pounds



a　year；　and　the　other　at　eight。　You　simply　take　the　one　fittest



for　the　place；　and　send　away　the　other；　not　perhaps　concerning



yourself　quite　as　much　as　you　should　with　the　question　which　you



now　impatiently　put　to　me；　〃What　is　to　become　of　her？〃　For　all



that　I　advise　you　to　do；　is　to　deal　with　workmen　as　with



servants；　and　verily　the　question　is　of　weight：　〃Your　bad



workman；　idler；　and　rogue　　what　are　you　to　do　with　him？〃



　　　　We　will　consider　of　this　presently：　remember　that　the



administration　of　a　complete　system　of　national　commerce　and



industry　cannot　be　explained　in　full　detail　within　the　space　of



twelve　pages。　Meantime；　consider　whether；　there　being　confessedly



some　difficulty　in　dealing　with　rogues　and　idlers；　it　may　not　be



advisable　to　produce　as　few　of　them　as　possible。　If　you　examine



into　the　history　of　rogues；　you　will　find　they　are　as　truly



manufactured　articles　as　anything　else；　and　it　is　just　because



our　present　system　of