the country doctor-第15章

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reat　men　of　ancient　times　to　serve　their　country　in　the　lowest　rank　whenever　they　did　not　command。　Our　age　is　afflicted　with　a　disease　that　makes　each　of　us　seek　to　rise　above　his　fellows；　and　there　are　more　saints　than　shrines　among　us。

〃This　is　how　it　has　come　to　pass。　The　monarchy　fell；　and　we　lost　Honor；　Christian　Virtue　faded　with　the　religion　of　our　forefathers；　and　our　own　ineffectual　attempts　at　government　have　destroyed　Patriotism。　Ideas　can　never　utterly　perish；　so　these　beliefs　linger　on　in　our　midst；　but　they　do　not　influence　the　great　mass　of　the　people；　and　Society　has　no　support　but　Egoism。　Every　individual　believes　in　himself。　For　us　the　future　means　egoism；　further　than　that　we　cannot　see。　The　great　man　who　shall　save　us　from　the　shipwreck　which　is　imminent　will　no　doubt　avail　himself　of　individualism　when　he　makes　a　nation　of　us　once　more；　but　until　this　regeneration　comes；　we　bide　our　time　in　a　materialistic　and　utilitarian　age。　Utilitarianismto　this　conclusion　we　have　come。　We　are　all　rated；　not　at　our　just　worth；　but　according　to　our　social　importance。　People　will　scarcely　look　at　an　energetic　man　if　he　is　in　shirt…sleeves。　The　Government　itself　is　pervaded　by　this　idea。　A　minister　sends　a　paltry　medal　to　a　sailor　who　has　saved　a　dozen　lives　at　the　risk　of　his　own；　while　the　deputy　who　sells　his　vote　to　those　in　power　receives　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。

〃Woe　to　a　people　made　up　of　such　men　as　these！　For　nations；　like　men；　owe　all　the　strength　and　vitality　that　is　in　them　to　noble　thoughts　and　aspirations；　and　men's　feelings　shape　their　faith。　But　when　self…　interest　has　taken　the　place　of　faith　and　each　one　of　us　thinks　only　of　himself；　and　believes　in　himself　alone；　how　can　you　expect　to　find　among　us　much　of　that　civil　courage　whose　very　essence　consists　in　self…renunciation？　The　same　principle　underlies　both　military　and　civil　courage；　although　you　soldiers　are　called　upon　to　yield　your　lives　up　once　and　for　all；　while　ours　are　given　slowly　drop　by　drop；　and　the　battle　is　the　same　for　both；　although　it　takes　different　forms。

〃The　man　who　would　fain　civilize　the　lowliest　spot　on　earth　needs　something　besides　wealth　for　the　task。　Knowledge　is　still　more　necessary；　and　knowledge；　and　patriotism；　and　integrity　are　worthless　unless　they　are　accompanied　by　a　firm　determination　on　his　part　to　set　his　own　personal　interests　completely　aside；　and　to　devote　himself　to　a　social　idea。　France；　no　doubt；　possesses　more　than　one　well…educated　man　and　more　than　one　patriot　in　every　commune；　but　I　am　fully　persuaded　that　not　every　canton　can　produce　a　man　who　to　these　valuable　qualifications　unites　the　unflagging　will　and　pertinacity　with　which　a　blacksmith　hammers　out　iron。

〃The　Destroyer　and　the　Builder　are　two　manifestations　of　Will；　the　one　prepares　the　way；　and　the　other　accomplishes　the　work；　the　first　appears　in　the　guise　of　a　spirit　of　evil；　and　the　second　seems　like　the　spirit　of　good。　Glory　falls　to　the　Destroyer；　while　the　Builder　is　forgotten；　for　evil　makes　a　noise　in　the　world　that　rouses　little　souls　to　admiration；　while　good　deeds　are　slow　to　make　themselves　heard。　Self…love　leads　us　to　prefer　the　more　conspicuous　part。　If　it　should　happen　that　any　public　work　is　undertaken　without　an　interested　motive；　it　will　only　be　by　accident；　until　the　day　when　education　has　changed　our　ways　of　regarding　things　in　France。

〃Yet　suppose　that　this　change　had　come　to　pass；　and　that　all　of　us　were　public…spirited　citizens；　in　spite　of　our　comfortable　lives　among　trivialities；　should　we　not　be　in　a　fair　way　to　become　the　most　wearied；　wearisome；　and　unfortunate　race　of　philistines　under　the　sun？

〃I　am　not　at　the　helm　of　State；　the　decision　of　great　questions　of　this　kind　is　not　within　my　province；　but；　setting　these　considerations　aside；　there　are　other　difficulties　in　the　way　of　laying　down　hard　and　fast　rules　as　to　government。　In　the　matter　of　civilization；　everything　is　relative。　Ideas　that　suit　one　country　admirably　are　fatal　in　anothermen's　minds　are　as　various　as　the　soils　of　the　globe。　If　we　have　so　often　been　ill　governed；　it　is　because　a　faculty　for　government；　like　taste；　is　the　outcome　of　a　very　rare　and　lofty　attitude　of　mind。　The　qualifications　for　the　work　are　found　in　a　natural　bent　of　the　soul　rather　than　in　the　possession　of　scientific　formulae。　No　one　need　fear；　however；　to　call　himself　a　statesman；　for　his　actions　and　motives　cannot　be　justly　estimated；　his　real　judges　are　far　away；　and　the　results　of　his　deeds　are　even　more　remote。　We　have　a　great　respect　here　in　France　for　men　of　ideasa　keen　intellect　exerts　a　great　attraction　for　us；　but　ideas　are　of　little　value　where　a　resolute　will　is　the　one　thing　needful。　Administration；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　does　not　consist　in　forcing　more　or　less　wise　methods　and　ideas　upon　the　great　mass　of　the　nation；　but　in　giving　to　the　ideas；　good　or　bad；　that　they　already　possess　a　practical　turn　which　will　make　them　conduce　to　the　general　welfare　of　the　State。　If　old…　established　prejudices　and　customs　bring　a　country　into　a　bad　way；　the　people　will　renounce　their　errors　of　their　own　accord。　Are　not　losses　the　result　of　economical　errors　of　every　kind？　And　is　it　not；　therefore；　to　every　one's　interest　to　rectify　them　in　the　long　run？

〃Luckily　I　found　a　tabula　rasa　in　this　district。　They　have　followed　my　advice；　and　the　land　is　well　cultivated；　but　there　had　been　no　previous　errors　in　agriculture；　and　the　soil　was　good　to　begin　with；　so　that　it　has　been　easy　to　introduce　the　five…ply　shift；　artificial　grasses；　and　potatoes。　My　methods　did　not　clash　with　people's　prejudices。　The　faultily　constructed　plowshares　in　use　in　some　parts　of　France　were　unknown　here；　the　hoe　sufficed　for　the　little　field　work　that　they　did。　Our　wheelwright　extolled　my　wheeled　plows　because　he　wished　to　increase　his　own　business；　so　I　secured　an　ally　in　him；　but　in　this　matter；　as　in　all　others；　I　sought　to　make　the　good　of　one　conduce　to　the　good　of　all。

〃Then　I　turned　my　attention　to　another　kind　of　production；　that　should　increase　the　welfare　rather　than　the　wealth　of　these　poor　folk。　I　have　brought　nothing　from　without　into　this　district；　I　have　simply　encouraged　the　people　to　seek　beyond　its　limits　for　a　market　for　their　produce；　a　measure　that　could　not　but　increase　their　prosperity　in　a　way　that　they　felt　immediately。　They　had　no　idea　of　the　fact；　but　they　themselves　were　my　apostles；　and　their　works　preached　my　doctrines。　Something　else　must　also　be　borne　in　mind。　We　are　barely　five　leagues　from　Grenoble。　There　is　plenty　of　demand　in　a　large　city　for　produce　of　all　kinds；　but　not　every　commune　is　situated　at　the　gates　of　a　city。　In　every　similar　undertaking　the　nature；　situation；　and　resources　of　the　country　must　be　taken　into　consideration；　and　a　careful　study　must　be　made　of　the　soil；　of　the　people　themselves；　and　of　many　other　things；　and　no　one　should　expect　to　have　vines　grow　in　Normandy。　So　no　tasks　can　be　more　various　than　those　of　government；　and　its　general　principles　must　be　few　in　number。　The　law　is　uniform；　but　not　so　the　land　and　the　minds　and　customs　of　those　who　dwell　in　it；　and　the　administration　of　the　law　is　the　art　of　carrying　it　out　in　such　a　manner　that　no　injury　is　done　to　people's　interests。　Every　place　must　be　considered　separately。

〃On　the　other　side　of　the　mountain　at　the　foot　of　which　our　deserted　village　lies；　they　find　it　impossible　to　use　wheeled　plows；　because　the　soil　is　not　deep　enough。　Now　if　the　mayor　of　the　commune　were　to　take　it　into　his　head　to　follow　in　our　footsteps；　he　would　be　the　ruin　of　his　neighborhood。　I　advised　him　to　plant　vineyards；　they　had　a　capital　vintage　last　year　in　the　little　district；　and　their　wine　is　exchanged　for　our　corn。

〃Then；　lastly；　it　must　be　remembered　that　my　words　carried　a　certain　weight　with　the　people　to　whom　I　preached；　and　that　we　were　continually　brought　into　close　contact。　I　cured　my　peasants'　complaints；　an　easy　task；　for　a　nourishing　diet　is；　as　a　rule；　all　that　is　needed　to　restore　them　to　health　and　strength。　Either　through　thrift；　or　through　sheer　poverty；　the　country　people　starve　themselves；　any　illness　among　them　is　caused　in　this　way；　and　as　a　rule　they　enjoy　very　fair　health