character-第13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！



reached　which　some　women　desire　to　effect　amongst　ourselves。　　The

women　there　mainly　attend　to　businessserving　the　BOUTIQUE；　or

presiding　at　the　COMPTOIRwhile　the　men　lounge　about　the

Boulevards。　　But　the　result　has　only　been　homelessness；

degeneracy；　and　family　and　social　decay。



Nor　is　there　any　reason　to　believe　that　the　elevation　and

improvement　of　women　are　to　be　secured　by　investing　them　with

political　power。　　There　are；　however；　in　these　days；　many

believers　in　the　potentiality　of　〃votes；〃　（22）　who　anticipate　some

indefinite　good　from　the　〃enfranchisement〃　of　women。　　It　is　not

necessary　here　to　enter　upon　the　discussion　of　this　question。　　But

it　may　be　sufficient　to　state　that　the　power　which　women　do　not

possess　politically　is　far　more　than　compensated　by　that　which

they　exercise　in　private　lifeby　their　training　in　the　home

those　who；　whether　as　men　or　as　women；　do　all　the　manly　as　well　as

womanly　work　of　the　world。　　The　Radical　Bentham　has　said　that　man；

even　if　he　would；　cannot　keep　power　from　woman；　for　that　she

already　governs　the　world　〃with　the　whole　power　of　a　despot；〃　（23）

though　the　power　that　she　mainly　governs　by　is　love。　　And　to　form

the　character　of　the　whole　human　race；　is　certainly　a　power　far

greater　than　that　which　women　could　ever　hope　to　exercise　as

voters　for　members　of　Parliament；　or　even　as　lawmakers。



There　is；　however；　one　special　department　of　woman's　work

demanding　the　earnest　attention　of　all　true　female　reformers；

though　it　is　one　which　has　hitherto　been　unaccountably　neglected。

We　mean　the　better　economizing　and　preparation　of　human　food；　the

waste　of　which　at　present；　for　want　of　the　most　ordinary　culinary

knowledge；　is　little　short　of　scandalous。　　If　that　man　is　to　be

regarded　as　a　benefactor　of　his　species　who　makes　two　stalks　of

corn　to　grow　where　only　one　grew　before；　not　less　is　she　to　be

regarded　as　a　public　benefactor　who　economizes　and　turns　to　the

best　practical　account　the　food…products　of　human　skill　and

labour。　　The　improved　use　of　even　our　existing　supply　would　be

equivalent　to　an　immediate　extension　of　the　cultivable　acreage　of

our　countrynot　to　speak　of　the　increase　in　health；　economy；　and

domestic　comfort。　　Were　our　female　reformers　only　to　turn　their

energies　in　this　direction　with　effect；　they　would　earn　the

gratitude　of　all　households；　and　be　esteemed　as　among　the　greatest

of　practical　philanthropists。







NOTES



（1）　Civic　virtues；　unless　they　have　their　origin　and　consecration　in

private　and　domestic　virtues；　are　but　the　virtues　of　the　theatre。

He　who　has　not　a　loving　heart　for　his　child；　cannot　pretend　to

have　any　true　love　for　humanity。Jules　Simon's　LE　DEVOIR。



（2）　'Levana；　or；　The　Doctrine　of　Education。'



（3）　Speaking　of　the　force　of　habit；　St。　Augustine　says　in　his

'Confessions'　〃My　will　the　enemy　held；　and　thence　had　made　a　chain

for　me；　and　bound　me。　　For　of　a　froward　will　was　a　lust　made；　and

a　lust　served　became　custom；　and　custom　not　resisted　became

necessity。　　By　which　links；　as　it　were；　joined　together　（whence　I

called　it　a　chain）　a　hard　bondage　held　me　enthralled。〃



（4）　Mr。　Tufnell；　in　'Reports　of　Inspectors　of　Parochial　School　Unions

in　England　and　Wales；'　1850。



（5）　See　the　letters　（January　13th；　16th；　18th；　20th；　and　23rd；　1759）；

written　by　Johnson　to　his　mother　when　she　was　ninety；　and　he

himself　was　in　his　fiftieth　year。Crokers　BOSWELL；　8vo。　Ed。　pp。

113；　114。



（6）　Jared　Sparks'　'Life　of　Washington。'



（7）　Forster's　'Eminent　British　Statesmen'　（Cabinet　Cyclop。）　vi。　8。



（8）　The　Earl　of　Mornington；　composer　of　'Here　in　cool　grot；'　&c。



（9）　Robert　Bell's　'Life　of　Canning；'　p。　37。



（10）　'Life　of　Curran；'　by　his　son；　p。　4。



（11）　The　father　of　the　Wesleys　had　even　determined　at　one　time　to

abandon　his　wife　because　her　conscience　forbade　her　to　assent　to

his　prayers　for　the　then　reigning　monarch；　and　he　was　only　saved

from　the　consequences　of　his　rash　resolve　by　the　accidental　death

of　William　III。　　He　displayed　the　same　overbearing　disposition　in

dealing　with　his　children；　forcing　　his　daughter　Mehetabel　to

marry；　against　her　will；　a　man　whom　she　did　not　love；　and　who

proved　entirely　unworthy　of　her。



（12）　Goethe　himself　says

〃Vom　Vater　hab'　ich　die　Statur；

Des　Lebens　ernstes　Fuhren；

Von　Mutterchen　die　Frohnatur

Und　Lust　zu　fabuliren。〃



（13）　Mrs。　Grote's　'Life　of　Ary　Scheffer；'　p。　154。



（14）　Michelet；　'On　Priests；　Women；　and　Families。'



（15）　Mrs。　Byron　is　said　to　have　died　in　a　fit　of　passion；　brought　on　by

reading　her　upholsterer's　bills。



（16）　Sainte…Beuve；　'Causeries　du　Lundi；'　i。　23。



（17）　Ibid。　i。　22。



（18）　Ibid。　1。　23。



（19）　That　about　one…third　of　all　the　children　born　in　this　country　die

under　five　years　of　age；　can　only　he　attributable　to　ignorance　of

the　natural　laws；　ignorance　of　the　human　constitution；　and

ignorance　of　the　uses　of　pure　air；　pure　water；　and　of　the　art　of

preparing　and　administering　wholesome　food。　　There　is　no　such

mortality　amongst　the　lower　animals。



（20）　Beaumarchais'　'Figaro；'　which　was　received　with　such　enthusiasm

in　France　shortly　before　the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution；　may　be

regarded　as　a　typical　play；　it　represented　the　average　morality　of

the　upper　as　well　as　the　lower　classes　with　respect　to　the

relations　between　the　sexes。　　〃Label　men　how　you　please；〃　says

Herbert　Spencer；　〃with　titles　of　'upper'　and　'middle'　and　'lower；'

you　cannot　prevent　them　from　being　units　of　the　same　society；

acted　upon　by　the　same　spirit　of　the　age；　moulded　after　the　same

type　of　character。　　The　mechanical　law；　that　action　and　reaction

are　equal；　has　its　moral　analogue。　　The　deed　of　one　man　to　another

tends　ultimately　to　produce　a　like　effect　upon　both；　be　the　deed

good　or　bad。　　Do　but　put　them　in　relationship；　and　no　division

into　castes；　no　differences　of　wealth；　can　prevent　men　from

assimilating。。。。　　The　same　influences　which　rapidly　adapt　the

individual　to　his　society；　ensure；　though　by　a　slower　process；　the

general　uniformity　of　a　national　character。。。。　　And　so　long　as　the

assimilating　influences　productive　of　it　continue　at　work；　it　is

folly　to　suppose　any　one　grade　of　a　community　can　be　morally

different　from　the　rest。　　In　whichever　rank　you　see　corruption；　be

assured　it　equally　pervades　all　ranksbe　assured　it　is　the

symptom　of　a　bad　social　diathesis。　　Whilst　the　virus　of　depravity

exists　in　one　part　of　　the　body…politic；　no　other　part　can　remain

healthy。〃SOCIAL　STATICS；　chap。　xx。　7。



（21）　Some　twenty…eight　years　since；　the　author　wrote　and　published　the

following　passage；　not　without　practical　knowledge　of　the　subject；

and　notwithstanding　the　great　amelioration　in　the　lot　of　factory…

workers；　effected　mainly　through　the　noble　efforts　of　Lord

Shaftesbury；　the　description　is　still　to　a　large　extent　true：

〃The　factory　system；　however　much　it　may　have　added　to　the　wealth

of　the　country；　has　had　a　most　deleterious　effect　on　the　domestic

condition　of　the　people。　　It　has　invaded　the　sanctuary　of　home；

and　broken　up　family　and　social　ties。　　It　has　taken　the　wife　from

the　husband；　and　the　children　from　their　parents。　　Especially　has

its　tendency　been　to　lower　the　character　of　woman。　　The

performance　of　domestic　duties　is　her　proper　office；the

management　of　her　household；　the　rearing　of　her　family；　the

economizing　of　the　family　means；　the　supplying　of　the　family

wants。　　But　the　factory　takes　her　from　all　these　duties。　　Homes

become　no　longer　homes。　　Children　grow　up　uneducated　and

neglected。　　The　finer　affections　become　blunted。　　Woman　is　no　more

the　gentle　wife；　companion；　and　friend　of　man；　but　his　fellow…

labourer　and　fellow…drudge。　　She　is　exposed　to　influences　which

too　often　efface　that　modesty　of　thought　and　conduct　which　is　one

of　the　best　safeguards　of　virtue。　　Without　judgment　or　sound

principles　to　guide　them；　factory…girls　early　acquire　the　feeling

of　independence。　　Ready　to　throw　off　the　constraint　imposed　on

them　by　their　parents；　they　leave　their　homes；　and　speedily　become

initiated　in　the　vices　of　their　associates。　　The　atmosphere；

physical　as　well　as　moral；　in　which　they　live；　stimulates　their

animal　appetites；　the　influence　of　bad　example　becomes　contagious

among　them　and　mischief　is　propagated　far　and　wide。〃THE　UNION；

January；　1843。



（22）A　French　satirist；　pointing　to　the　repeated　PLEBISCITES　and

perpetual　voting　of　late　years；　and　to　the　growing　want　of　faith

in　anything　but　votes；　said；　in　1870；　that　we　seemed　to　be　rapidly

approaching　the　period　when　the　only　prayer　of　man　and　woman　would

be；　〃Give　us　this　day　our　daily　vote！〃



（23）　〃Of　primeval　and　necessary　and　absolute　superiority；　the　relation

of　the　mother　to　the　child　is　far　more　complete；　though　less

seldom　quoted　as　an　example；　than　that　of　father　and　son。。。。　　By

Sir　Robert　Filmer；　the　supposed　necessary　as　well　as　absolute

power　of　the　father　over　his　childre