the moscow census-第25章

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order　to　refrain　from　acquiring　money；　and　to　rid　one's　self　of　it　in
order　to　be　in　a　position　to　do　good　to　people；　that　is；　to　bestow　on
them　one's　labor；　and　not　the　labor　of　another。



CHAPTER　XIX。



＇I　saw　that　money　is　the　cause　of　suffering　and　vice　among　the
people；　and　that；　if　I　desired　to　help　people；　the　first　thing　that
was　required　of　me　was　not　to　create　those　unfortunates　whom　I　wished
to　assist。

I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　man　who　does　not　love　vice　and　the
suffering　of　the　people　should　not　make　use　of　money；　thus　presenting
an　inducement　to　extortion　from　the　poor；　by　forcing　them　to　work　for
him；　and　that；　in　order　not　to　make　use　of　the　toil　of　others；　he
must　demand　as　little　from　others　as　possible；　and　work　as　much　as
possible　himself。＇　｛22｝

By　dint　of　a　long　course　of　reasoning；　I　came　to　this　inevitable
conclusion；　which　was　drawn　thousands　of　years　ago　by　the　Chinese　in
the　saying；　〃If　there　is　one　idle　man；　there　is　another　dying　with
hunger　to　offset　him。

＇Then　what　are　we　to　do？　　John　the　Baptist　gave　the　answer　to　this
very　question　two　thousand　years　ago。　　And　when　the　people　asked　him；
〃What　are　we　to　do？〃　he　said；　〃Let　him　that　hath　two　garments　impart
to　him　that　hath　none；　and　let　him　that　hath　meat　do　the　same。〃　　What
is　the　meaning　of　giving　away　one　garment　out　of　two；　and　half　of
one's　food？　　It　means　giving　to　others　every　superfluity；　and
thenceforth　taking　nothing　superfluous　from　people。

This　expedient；　which　furnishes　such　perfect　satisfaction　to　the
moral　feelings；　kept　my　eyes　fast　bound；　and　binds　all　our　eyes；　and
we　do　not　see　it；　but　gaze　aside。

This　is　precisely　like　a　personage　on　the　stage；　who　had　entered　a
long　time　since；　and　all　the　spectators　see　him；　and　it　is　obvious
that　the　actors　cannot　help　seeing　him；　but　the　point　on　the　stage
lies　in　the　acting　characters　pretending　not　to　see　him；　and　in
suffering　from　his　absence。＇　｛23｝

Thus　we；　in　our　efforts　to　recover　from　our　social　diseases；　search
in　all　quarters；　governmental　and　anti…governmental；　and　in
scientific　and　in　philanthropic　superstitions；　and　we　do　not　see　what
is　perfectly　visible　to　every　eye。

For　the　man　who　really　suffers　from　the　sufferings　of　the　people　who
surround　us；　there　exists　the　very　plainest；　simplest；　and　easiest
means；　the　only　possible　one　for　the　cure　of　the　evil　about　us；　and
for　the　acquisition　of　a　consciousness　of　the　legitimacy　of　his　life；
the　one　given　by　John　the　Baptist；　and　confirmed　by　Christ：　　not　to
have　more　than　one　garment；　and　not　to　have　money。　　And　not　to　have
any　money；　means；　not　to　employ　the　labor　of　others；　and　hence；　first
of　all；　to　do　with　our　own　hands　every　thing　that　we　can　possibly　do。

This　is　so　clear　and　simple！　　But　it　is　clear　and　simple　when　the
requirements　are　simple。　　I　live　in　the　country。　　I　lie　on　the　oven；
and　I　order　my　debtor；　my　neighbor；　to　chop　wood　and　light　my　fire。
It　is　very　clear　that　I　am　lazy；　and　that　I　tear　my　neighbor　away
from　his　affairs；　and　I　shall　feel　mortified；　and　I　shall　find　it
tiresome　to　lie　still　all　the　time；　and　I　shall　go　and　split　my　wood
for　myself。

But　the　delusion　of　slavery　of　all　descriptions　lies　so　far　back；　so
much　of　artificial　exaction　has　sprung　up　upon　it；　so　many　people；
accustomed　in　different　degrees　to　these　habits；　are　interwoven　with
each　other；　enervated　people；　spoiled　for　generations；　and　such
complicated　delusions　and　justifications　for　their　luxury　and
idleness　have　been　devised　by　people；　that　it　is　far　from　being　so
easy　for　a　man　who　stands　at　the　summit　of　the　ladder　of　idle　people
to　understand　his　sin；　as　it　is　for　the　peasant　who　has　made　his
neighbor　build　his　fire。

It　is　terribly　difficult　for　people　at　the　top　of　this　ladder　to
understand　what　is　required　of　them。　　＇Their　heads　are　turned　by　the
height　of　this　ladder　of　lies；　upon　which　they　find　themselves　when　a
place　on　the　ground　is　offered　to　them；　to　which　they　must　descend　in
order　to　begin　to　live；　not　yet　well；　but　no　longer　cruelly；
inhumanly；　for　this　reason；　this　clear　and　simple　truth　appears
strange　to　these　people。　　For　the　man　with　ten　servants；　liveries；
coachmen；　cooks；　pictures；　pianofortes；　that　will　infallibly　appear
strange；　and　even　ridiculous；　which　is　the　simplest；　the　first　act
ofI　will　not　say　every　good　manbut　of　every　man　who　is　not
wicked：　　to　cut　his　own　wood　with　which　his　food　is　cooked；　and　with
which　he　warms　himself；　to　himself　clean　those　boots　with　which　he
has　heedlessly　stepped　in　the　mire；　to　himself　fetch　that　water　with
which　he　preserves　his　cleanliness；　and　to　carry　out　that　dirty　water
in　which　he　has　washed　himself。＇　｛24｝

But；　besides　the　remoteness　of　people　from　the　truth；　there　is
another　cause　which　prevents　people　from　seeing　the　obligation　for
them　of　the　simplest　and　most　natural　personal；　physical　labor　for
themselves：　　this　is　the　complication；　the　inextricability　of　the
conditions；　the　advantage　of　all　the　people　who　are　bound　together
among　themselves　by　money；　in　which　the　rich　man　lives：　　My　luxurious
life　feeds　people。　　What　would　become　of　my　old　valet　if　I　were　to
discharge　him？　　What！　we　must　all　do　every　thing　necessary；make　our
clothes　and　hew　wood？　。　。　。　　And　how　about　the　division　of　labor？〃

＇This　morning　I　stepped　out　into　the　corridor　where　the　fires　were
being　built。　　A　peasant　was　making　a　fire　in　the　stove　which　warms　my
son's　room。　　I　went　in；　the　latter　was　asleep。　　It　was　eleven　o'clock
in　the　morning。　　To…day　is　a　holiday：　　there　is　some　excuse；　there
are　no　lessons。

The　smooth…skinned；　eighteen…year…old　youth；　with　a　beard；　who　had
eaten　his　fill　on　the　preceding　evening；　sleeps　until　eleven　o'clock。
But　the　peasant　of　his　age　had　been　up　at　dawn；　and　had　got　through　a
quantity　of　work；　and　was　attending　to　his　tenth　stove；　while　the
former　slept。　　〃The　peasant　shall　not　make　the　fire　in　his　stove　to
warm　that　smooth；　lazy　body　of　his！〃　I　thought。　　But　I　immediately
recollected　that　this　stove　also　warmed　the　room　of　the　housekeeper；
a　woman　forty　years　of　age；　who；　on　the　evening　before；　had　been
making　preparations　up　to　three　o'clock　in　the　morning　for　the　supper
which　my　son　had　eaten；　and　that　she　had　cleared　the　table；　and　risen
at　seven；　nevertheless。　　The　peasant　was　building　the　fire　for　her
also。　　And　under　her　name　the　lazybones　was　warming　himself。

It　is　true　that　the　interests　of　all　are　interwoven；　but；　even
without　any　prolonged　reckoning；　the　conscience　of　each　man　will　say
on　whose　side　lies　labor；　and　on　whose　idleness。　　But　although
conscience　says　this；　the　account…book；　the　cash…book；　says　it　still
more　clearly。　　The　more　money　any　one　spends；　the　more　idle　he　is；
that　is　to　say；　the　more　he　makes　others　work　for　him。　　The　less　he
spends；　the　more　he　works。＇　｛25｝　　But　trade；　but　public　undertakings；
and；　finally；　the　most　terrible　of　words；　culture；　the　development　of
sciences；　and　the　arts；what　of　them？

＇If　I　live　I　will　make　answer　to　those　points；　and　in　detail；　and
until　such　answer　I　will　narrate　the　following。＇　｛25｝



CHAPTER　XX。



LIFE　IN　THE　CITY。

Last　year；　in　March；　I　was　returning　home　late　at　night。　　As　I　turned
from　the　Zubova　into　Khamovnitchesky　Lane；　I　saw　some　black　spots　on
the　snow　of　the　Dyevitchy　Pole　（field）。　　Something　was　moving　about
in　one　place。　　I　should　not　have　paid　any　attention　to　this；　if　the
policeman　who　was　standing　at　the　end　of　the　street　had　not　shouted
in　the　direction　of　the　black　spots；　…

〃Vasily！　why　don't　you　bring　her　in？〃

〃She　won't　come！〃　answered　a　voice；　and　then　the　spot　moved　towards
the　policeman。

I　halted　and　asked　the　police…officer；　〃What　is　it？〃

He　said；〃They　are　taking　a　girl　from　the　Rzhanoff　house　to　the
station…house；　and　she　is　hanging　back；　she　won't　walk。〃　　A　house…
porter　in　a　sheepskin　coat　was　leading　her。　　She　was　walking　forward；
and　he　was　pushing　her　from　behind。　　All　of　us；　I　and　the　porter　and
the　policeman；　were　dressed　in　winter　clothes；　but　she　had　nothing　on
over　her　dress。　　In　the　darkness　I　could　make　out　only　her　brown
dress；　and　the　kerchiefs　on　her　head　and　neck。　　She　was