01-economy-第17章

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means。　　I　would　not　have　any　one　adopt　my　mode　of　living　on　any

account；　for；　beside　that　before　he　has　fairly　learned　it　I　may　have

found　out　another　for　myself；　I　desire　that　there　may　be　as　many

different　persons　in　the　world　as　possible；　but　I　would　have　each

one　be　very　careful　to　find　out　and　pursue　his　own　way；　and　not　his

father's　or　his　mother's　or　his　neighbor's　instead。　　The　youth　may

build　or　plant　or　sail；　only　let　him　not　be　hindered　from　doing　that

which　he　tells　me　he　would　like　to　do。　　It　is　by　a　mathematical

point　only　that　we　are　wise；　as　the　sailor　or　the　fugitive　slave

keeps　the　polestar　in　his　eye；　but　that　is　sufficient　guidance　for

all　our　life。　　We　may　not　arrive　at　our　port　within　a　calculable

period；　but　we　would　preserve　the　true　course。

　　　　Undoubtedly；　in　this　case；　what　is　true　for　one　is　truer　still

for　a　thousand；　as　a　large　house　is　not　proportionally　more

expensive　than　a　small　one；　since　one　roof　may　cover；　one　cellar

underlie；　and　one　wall　separate　several　apartments。　　But　for　my

part；　I　preferred　the　solitary　dwelling。　　Moreover；　it　will　commonly

be　cheaper　to　build　the　whole　yourself　than　to　convince　another　of

the　advantage　of　the　common　wall；　and　when　you　have　done　this；　the

common　partition；　to　be　much　cheaper；　must　be　a　thin　one；　and　that

other　may　prove　a　bad　neighbor；　and　also　not　keep　his　side　in

repair。　　The　only　co…operation　which　is　commonly　possible　is

exceedingly　partial　and　superficial；　and　what　little　true

co…operation　there　is；　is　as　if　it　were　not；　being　a　harmony

inaudible　to　men。　　If　a　man　has　faith；　he　will　co…operate　with　equal

faith　everywhere；　if　he　has　not　faith；　he　will　continue　to　live　like

the　rest　of　the　world；　whatever　company　he　is　joined　to。　　To

co…operate　in　the　highest　as　well　as　the　lowest　sense；　means　to　get

our　living　together。　　I　heard　it　proposed　lately　that　two　young　men

should　travel　together　over　the　world；　the　one　without　money；

earning　his　means　as　he　went；　before　the　mast　and　behind　the　plow；

the　other　carrying　a　bill　of　exchange　in　his　pocket。　　It　was　easy　to

see　that　they　could　not　long　be　companions　or　co…operate；　since　one

would　not　operate　at　all。　　They　would　part　at　the　first　interesting

crisis　in　their　adventures。　　Above　all；　as　I　have　implied；　the　man

who　goes　alone　can　start　today；　but　he　who　travels　with　another　must

wait　till　that　other　is　ready；　and　it　may　be　a　long　time　before　they

get　off。

　　　　But　all　this　is　very　selfish；　I　have　heard　some　of　my　townsmen

say。　　I　confess　that　I　have　hitherto　indulged　very　little　in

philanthropic　enterprises。　　I　have　made　some　sacrifices　to　a　sense

of　duty；　and　among　others　have　sacrificed　this　pleasure　also。　　There

are　those　who　have　used　all　their　arts　to　persuade　me　to　undertake

the　support　of　some　poor　family　in　the　town；　and　if　I　had　nothing　to

do　　for　the　devil　finds　employment　for　the　idle　　I　might　try　my

hand　at　some　such　pastime　as　that。　　However；　when　I　have　thought　to

indulge　myself　in　this　respect；　and　lay　their　Heaven　under　an

obligation　by　maintaining　certain　poor　persons　in　all　respects　as

comfortably　as　I　maintain　myself；　and　have　even　ventured　so　far　as

to　make　them　the　offer；　they　have　one　and　all　unhesitatingly

preferred　to　remain　poor。　　While　my　townsmen　and　women　are　devoted

in　so　many　ways　to　the　good　of　their　fellows；　I　trust　that　one　at

least　may　be　spared　to　other　and　less　humane　pursuits。　　You　must

have　a　genius　for　charity　as　well　as　for　anything　else。　　As　for

Doing…good；　that　is　one　of　the　professions　which　are　full。

Moreover；　I　have　tried　it　fairly；　and；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　am

satisfied　that　it　does　not　agree　with　my　constitution。　　Probably　I

should　not　consciously　and　deliberately　forsake　my　particular

calling　to　do　the　good　which　society　demands　of　me；　to　save　the

universe　from　annihilation；　and　I　believe　that　a　like　but　infinitely

greater　steadfastness　elsewhere　is　all　that　now　preserves　it。　　But　I

would　not　stand　between　any　man　and　his　genius；　and　to　him　who　does

this　work；　which　I　decline；　with　his　whole　heart　and　soul　and　life；

I　would　say；　Persevere；　even　if　the　world　call　it　doing　evil；　as　it

is　most　likely　they　will。

　　　　I　am　far　from　supposing　that　my　case　is　a　peculiar　one；　no　doubt

many　of　my　readers　would　make　a　similar　defence。　　At　doing　something

　I　will　not　engage　that　my　neighbors　shall　pronounce　it　good　　I

do　not　hesitate　to　say　that　I　should　be　a　capital　fellow　to　hire；

but　what　that　is；　it　is　for　my　employer　to　find　out。　　What　good　I

do；　in　the　common　sense　of　that　word；　must　be　aside　from　my　main

path；　and　for　the　most　part　wholly　unintended。　　Men　say；

practically；　Begin　where　you　are　and　such　as　you　are；　without　aiming

mainly　to　become　of　more　worth；　and　with　kindness　aforethought　go

about　doing　good。　　If　I　were　to　preach　at　all　in　this　strain；　I

should　say　rather；　Set　about　being　good。　　As　if　the　sun　should　stop

when　he　had　kindled　his　fires　up　to　the　splendor　of　a　moon　or　a　star

of　the　sixth　magnitude；　and　go　about　like　a　Robin　Goodfellow；

peeping　in　at　every　cottage　window；　inspiring　lunatics；　and　tainting

meats；　and　making　darkness　visible；　instead　of　steadily　increasing

his　genial　heat　and　beneficence　till　he　is　of　such　brightness　that

no　mortal　can　look　him　in　the　face；　and　then；　and　in　the　meanwhile

too；　going　about　the　world　in　his　own　orbit；　doing　it　good；　or

rather；　as　a　truer　philosophy　has　discovered；　the　world　going　about

him　getting　good。　　When　Phaeton；　wishing　to　prove　his　heavenly　birth

by　his　beneficence；　had　the　sun's　chariot　but　one　day；　and　drove　out

of　the　beaten　track；　he　burned　several　blocks　of　houses　in　the　lower

streets　of　heaven；　and　scorched　the　surface　of　the　earth；　and　dried

up　every　spring；　and　made　the　great　desert　of　Sahara；　till　at　length

Jupiter　hurled　him　headlong　to　the　earth　with　a　thunderbolt；　and　the

sun；　through　grief　at　his　death；　did　not　shine　for　a　year。

　　　　There　is　no　odor　so　bad　as　that　which　arises　from　goodness

tainted。　　It　is　human；　it　is　divine；　carrion。　　If　I　knew　for　a

certainty　that　a　man　was　coming　to　my　house　with　the　conscious

design　of　doing　me　good；　I　should　run　for　my　life；　as　from　that　dry

and　parching　wind　of　the　African　deserts　called　the　simoom；　which

fills　the　mouth　and　nose　and　ears　and　eyes　with　dust　till　you　are

suffocated；　for　fear　that　I　should　get　some　of　his　good　done　to　me

　some　of　its　virus　mingled　with　my　blood。　　No　　in　this　case　I

would　rather　suffer　evil　the　natural　way。　　A　man　is　not　a　good　man

to　me　because　he　will　feed　me　if　I　should　be　starving；　or　warm　me　if

I　should　be　freezing；　or　pull　me　out　of　a　ditch　if　I　should　ever

fall　into　one。　　I　can　find　you　a　Newfoundland　dog　that　will　do　as

much。　　Philanthropy　is　not　love　for　one's　fellow…man　in　the　broadest

sense。　　Howard　was　no　doubt　an　exceedingly　kind　and　worthy　man　in

his　way；　and　has　his　reward；　but；　comparatively　speaking；　what　are　a

hundred　Howards　to　us；　if　their　philanthropy　do　not　help　us　in　our

best　estate；　when　we　are　most　worthy　to　be　helped？　　I　never　heard　of

a　philanthropic　meeting　in　which　it　was　sincerely　proposed　to　do　any

good　to　me；　or　the　like　of　me。

　　　　The　Jesuits　were　quite　balked　by　those　Indians　who；　being　burned

at　the　stake；　suggested　new　modes　of　torture　to　their　tormentors。

Being　superior　to　physical　suffering；　it　sometimes　chanced　that　they

were　superior　to　any　consolation　which　the　missionaries　could　offer；

and　the　law　to　do　as　you　would　be　done　by　fell　with　less

persuasiveness　on　the　ears　of　those　who；　for　their　part；　did　not

care　how　they　were　done　by；　who　loved　their　enemies　after　a　new

fashion；　and　came　very　near　freely　forgiving　them　all　they　did。

　　　　Be　sure　that　you　give　the　poor　the　aid　they　most　need；　though　it

be　your　example　which　leaves　them　far　behind。　　If　you　give　money；

spend　yourself　with　it；　and　do　not　merely　abandon　it　to　them。　　We

make　curious　mistakes　sometimes。　　Often　the　poor　man　is　not　so　cold

and　hungry　as　he