01-economy-第12章

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myself；　and　my　shortcomings　and　inconsistencies　do　not　affect　the

truth　of　my　statement。　　Notwithstanding　much　cant　and　hypocrisy　

chaff　which　I　find　it　difficult　to　separate　from　my　wheat；　but　for

which　I　am　as　sorry　as　any　man　　I　will　breathe　freely　and　stretch

myself　in　this　respect；　it　is　such　a　relief　to　both　the　moral　and

physical　system；　and　I　am　resolved　that　I　will　not　through　humility

become　the　devil's　attorney。　　I　will　endeavor　to　speak　a　good　word

for　the　truth。　　At　Cambridge　College　the　mere　rent　of　a　student's

room；　which　is　only　a　little　larger　than　my　own；　is　thirty　dollars

each　year；　though　the　corporation　had　the　advantage　of　building

thirty…two　side　by　side　and　under　one　roof；　and　the　occupant　suffers

the　inconvenience　of　many　and　noisy　neighbors；　and　perhaps　a

residence　in　the　fourth　story。　　I　cannot　but　think　that　if　we　had

more　true　wisdom　in　these　respects；　not　only　less　education　would　be

needed；　because；　forsooth；　more　would　already　have　been　acquired；

but　the　pecuniary　expense　of　getting　an　education　would　in　a　great

measure　vanish。　　Those　conveniences　which　the　student　requires　at

Cambridge　or　elsewhere　cost　him　or　somebody　else　ten　times　as　great

a　sacrifice　of　life　as　they　would　with　proper　management　on　both

sides。　　Those　things　for　which　the　most　money　is　demanded　are　never

the　things　which　the　student　most　wants。　　Tuition；　for　instance；　is

an　important　item　in　the　term　bill；　while　for　the　far　more　valuable

education　which　he　gets　by　associating　with　the　most　cultivated　of

his　contemporaries　no　charge　is　made。　　The　mode　of　founding　a

college　is；　commonly；　to　get　up　a　subscription　of　dollars　and　cents；

and　then；　following　blindly　the　principles　of　a　division　of　labor　to

its　extreme　　a　principle　which　should　never　be　followed　but　with

circumspection　　to　call　in　a　contractor　who　makes　this　a　subject

of　speculation；　and　he　employs　Irishmen　or　other　operatives　actually

to　lay　the　foundations；　while　the　students　that　are　to　be　are　said

to　be　fitting　themselves　for　it；　and　for　these　oversights　successive

generations　have　to　pay。　　I　think　that　it　would　be　better　than　this；

for　the　students；　or　those　who　desire　to　be　benefited　by　it；　even　to

lay　the　foundation　themselves。　　The　student　who　secures　his　coveted

leisure　and　retirement　by　systematically　shirking　any　labor

necessary　to　man　obtains　but　an　ignoble　and　unprofitable　leisure；

defrauding　himself　of　the　experience　which　alone　can　make　leisure

fruitful。　　〃But；〃　says　one；　〃you　do　not　mean　that　the　students

should　go　to　work　with　their　hands　instead　of　their　heads？〃　　I　do

not　mean　that　exactly；　but　I　mean　something　which　he　might　think　a

good　deal　like　that；　I　mean　that　they　should　not　play　life；　or　study

it　merely；　while　the　community　supports　them　at　this　expensive　game；

but　earnestly　live　it　from　beginning　to　end。　　How　could　youths

better　learn　to　live　than　by　at　once　trying　the　experiment　of

living？　　Methinks　this　would　exercise　their　minds　as　much　as

mathematics。　　If　I　wished　a　boy　to　know　something　about　the　arts　and

sciences；　for　instance；　I　would　not　pursue　the　common　course；　which

is　merely　to　send　him　into　the　neighborhood　of　some　professor；　where

anything　is　professed　and　practised　but　the　art　of　life；　　to

survey　the　world　through　a　telescope　or　a　microscope；　and　never　with

his　natural　eye；　to　study　chemistry；　and　not　learn　how　his　bread　is

made；　or　mechanics；　and　not　learn　how　it　is　earned；　to　discover　new

satellites　to　Neptune；　and　not　detect　the　motes　in　his　eyes；　or　to

what　vagabond　he　is　a　satellite　himself；　or　to　be　devoured　by　the

monsters　that　swarm　all　around　him；　while　contemplating　the　monsters

in　a　drop　of　vinegar。　　Which　would　have　advanced　the　most　at　the　end

of　a　month　　the　boy　who　had　made　his　own　jackknife　from　the　ore

which　he　had　dug　and　smelted；　reading　as　much　as　would　be　necessary

for　this　　or　the　boy　who　had　attended　the　lectures　on　metallurgy

at　the　Institute　in　the　meanwhile；　and　had　received　a　Rodgers'

penknife　from　his　father？　　Which　would　be　most　likely　to　cut　his

fingers？。。。　　To　my　astonishment　I　was　informed　on　leaving　college

that　I　had　studied　navigation！　　why；　if　I　had　taken　one　turn　down

the　harbor　I　should　have　known　more　about　it。　　Even　the　poor　student

studies　and　is　taught　only　political　economy；　while　that　economy　of

living　which　is　synonymous　with　philosophy　is　not　even　sincerely

professed　in　our　colleges。　　The　consequence　is；　that　while　he　is

reading　Adam　Smith；　Ricardo；　and　Say；　he　runs　his　father　in　debt

irretrievably。

　　　　As　with　our　colleges；　so　with　a　hundred　〃modern　improvements〃；

there　is　an　illusion　about　them；　there　is　not　always　a　positive

advance。　　The　devil　goes　on　exacting　compound　interest　to　the　last

for　his　early　share　and　numerous　succeeding　investments　in　them。

Our　inventions　are　wont　to　be　pretty　toys；　which　distract　our

attention　from　serious　things。　　They　are　but　improved　means　to　an

unimproved　end；　an　end　which　it　was　already　but　too　easy　to　arrive

at；　as　railroads　lead　to　Boston　or　New　York。　　We　are　in　great　haste

to　construct　a　magnetic　telegraph　from　Maine　to　Texas；　but　Maine　and

Texas；　it　may　be；　have　nothing　important　to　communicate。　　Either　is

in　such　a　predicament　as　the　man　who　was　earnest　to　be　introduced　to

a　distinguished　deaf　woman；　but　when　he　was　presented；　and　one　end

of　her　ear　trumpet　was　put　into　his　hand；　had　nothing　to　say。　　As　if

the　main　object　were　to　talk　fast　and　not　to　talk　sensibly。　　We　are

eager　to　tunnel　under　the　Atlantic　and　bring　the　Old　World　some

weeks　nearer　to　the　New；　but　perchance　the　first　news　that　will　leak

through　into　the　broad；　flapping　American　ear　will　be　that　the

Princess　Adelaide　has　the　whooping　cough。　　After　all；　the　man　whose

horse　trots　a　mile　in　a　minute　does　not　carry　the　most　important

messages；　he　is　not　an　evangelist；　nor　does　he　come　round　eating

locusts　and　wild　honey。　　I　doubt　if　Flying　Childers　ever　carried　a

peck　of　corn　to　mill。

　　　　One　says　to　me；　〃I　wonder　that　you　do　not　lay　up　money；　you　love

to　travel；　you　might　take　the　cars　and　go　to　Fitchburg　today　and　see

the　country。〃　　But　I　am　wiser　than　that。　　I　have　learned　that　the

swiftest　traveller　is　he　that　goes　afoot。　　I　say　to　my　friend；

Suppose　we　try　who　will　get　there　first。　　The　distance　is　thirty

miles；　the　fare　ninety　cents。　　That　is　almost　a　day's　wages。　　I

remember　when　wages　were　sixty　cents　a　day　for　laborers　on　this　very

road。　　Well；　I　start　now　on　foot；　and　get　there　before　night；　I　have

travelled　at　that　rate　by　the　week　together。　　You　will　in　the

meanwhile　have　earned　your　fare；　and　arrive　there　some　time

tomorrow；　or　possibly　this　evening；　if　you　are　lucky　enough　to　get　a

job　in　season。　　Instead　of　going　to　Fitchburg；　you　will　be　working

here　the　greater　part　of　the　day。　　And　so；　if　the　railroad　reached

round　the　world；　I　think　that　I　should　keep　ahead　of　you；　and　as　for

seeing　the　country　and　getting　experience　of　that　kind；　I　should

have　to　cut　your　acquaintance　altogether。

　　　　Such　is　the　universal　law；　which　no　man　can　ever　outwit；　and

with　regard　to　the　railroad　even　we　may　say　it　is　as　broad　as　it　is

long。　　To　make　a　railroad　round　the　world　available　to　all　mankind

is　equivalent　to　grading　the　whole　surface　of　the　planet。　　Men　have

an　indistinct　notion　that　if　they　keep　up　this　activity　of　joint

stocks　and　spades　long　enough　all　will　at　length　ride　somewhere；　in

next　to　no　time；　and　for　nothing；　but　though　a　crowd　rushes　to　the

depot；　and　the　conductor　shouts　〃All　aboard！〃　when　the　smoke　is

blown　away　and　the　vapor　condensed；　it　will　be　perceived　that　a　few

are　riding；　but　the　rest　are　run　over　　and　it　will　be　called；　and

will　be；　〃A　melancholy　accident。〃　　No　doubt　they　can　ride　at　last

who　shall　have　earned　their　fare；　that　is；　if　they　survive　so　long；

but　they　will　probably　have　lost　their　elasticity　and　desire　to

travel　by　that　time。　　This　spending　of　the　best　part　of　one's　life

earning　mone