01-economy-第18章

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

and　hungry　as　he　is　dirty　and　ragged　and　gross。　　It　is　partly　his

taste；　and　not　merely　his　misfortune。　　If　you　give　him　money；　he

will　perhaps　buy　more　rags　with　it。　　I　was　wont　to　pity　the　clumsy

Irish　laborers　who　cut　ice　on　the　pond；　in　such　mean　and　ragged

clothes；　while　I　shivered　in　my　more　tidy　and　somewhat　more

fashionable　garments；　till；　one　bitter　cold　day；　one　who　had　slipped

into　the　water　came　to　my　house　to　warm　him；　and　I　saw　him　strip　off

three　pairs　of　pants　and　two　pairs　of　stockings　ere　he　got　down　to

the　skin；　though　they　were　dirty　and　ragged　enough；　it　is　true；　and

that　he　could　afford　to　refuse　the　extra　garments　which　I　offered

him；　he　had　so　many　intra　ones。　　This　ducking　was　the　very　thing　he

needed。　　Then　I　began　to　pity　myself；　and　I　saw　that　it　would　be　a

greater　charity　to　bestow　on　me　a　flannel　shirt　than　a　whole

slop…shop　on　him。　　There　are　a　thousand　hacking　at　the　branches　of

evil　to　one　who　is　striking　at　the　root；　and　it　may　be　that　he　who

bestows　the　largest　amount　of　time　and　money　on　the　needy　is　doing

the　most　by　his　mode　of　life　to　produce　that　misery　which　he　strives

in　vain　to　relieve。　　It　is　the　pious　slave…breeder　devoting　the

proceeds　of　every　tenth　slave　to　buy　a　Sunday's　liberty　for　the

rest。　　Some　show　their　kindness　to　the　poor　by　employing　them　in

their　kitchens。　　Would　they　not　be　kinder　if　they　employed

themselves　there？　　You　boast　of　spending　a　tenth　part　of　your　income

in　charity；　maybe　you　should　spend　the　nine　tenths　so；　and　done　with

it。　　Society　recovers　only　a　tenth　part　of　the　property　then。　　Is

this　owing　to　the　generosity　of　him　in　whose　possession　it　is　found；

or　to　the　remissness　of　the　officers　of　justice？

　　　　Philanthropy　is　almost　the　only　virtue　which　is　sufficiently

appreciated　by　mankind。　　Nay；　it　is　greatly　overrated；　and　it　is　our

selfishness　which　overrates　it。　　A　robust　poor　man；　one　sunny　day

here　in　Concord；　praised　a　fellow…townsman　to　me；　because；　as　he

said；　he　was　kind　to　the　poor；　meaning　himself。　　The　kind　uncles　and

aunts　of　the　race　are　more　esteemed　than　its　true　spiritual　fathers

and　mothers。　　I　once　heard　a　reverend　lecturer　on　England；　a　man　of

learning　and　intelligence；　after　enumerating　her　scientific；

literary；　and　political　worthies；　Shakespeare；　Bacon；　Cromwell；

Milton；　Newton；　and　others；　speak　next　of　her　Christian　heroes；

whom；　as　if　his　profession　required　it　of　him；　he　elevated　to　a

place　far　above　all　the　rest；　as　the　greatest　of　the　great。　　They

were　Penn；　Howard；　and　Mrs。　Fry。　　Every　one　must　feel　the　falsehood

and　cant　of　this。　　The　last　were　not　England's　best　men　and　women；

only；　perhaps；　her　best　philanthropists。

　　　　I　would　not　subtract　anything　from　the　praise　that　is　due　to

philanthropy；　but　merely　demand　justice　for　all　who　by　their　lives

and　works　are　a　blessing　to　mankind。　　I　do　not　value　chiefly　a　man's

uprightness　and　benevolence；　which　are；　as　it　were；　his　stem　and

leaves。　　Those　plants　of　whose　greenness　withered　we　make　herb　tea

for　the　sick　serve　but　a　humble　use；　and　are　most　employed　by

quacks。　　I　want　the　flower　and　fruit　of　a　man；　that　some　fragrance

be　wafted　over　from　him　to　me；　and　some　ripeness　flavor　our

intercourse。　　His　goodness　must　not　be　a　partial　and　transitory　act；

but　a　constant　superfluity；　which　costs　him　nothing　and　of　which　he

is　unconscious。　　This　is　a　charity　that　hides　a　multitude　of　sins。

The　philanthropist　too　often　surrounds　mankind　with　the　remembrance

of　his　own　castoff　griefs　as　an　atmosphere；　and　calls　it　sympathy。

We　should　impart　our　courage；　and　not　our　despair；　our　health　and

ease；　and　not　our　disease；　and　take　care　that　this　does　not　spread

by　contagion。　　From　what　southern　plains　comes　up　the　voice　of

wailing？　　Under　what　latitudes　reside　the　heathen　to　whom　we　would

send　light？　　Who　is　that　intemperate　and　brutal　man　whom　we　would

redeem？　　If　anything　ail　a　man；　so　that　he　does　not　perform　his

functions；　if　he　have　a　pain　in　his　bowels　even　　for　that　is　the

seat　of　sympathy　　he　forthwith　sets　about　reforming　　the　world。

Being　a　microcosm　himself；　he　discovers　　and　it　is　a　true

discovery；　and　he　is　the　man　to　make　it　　that　the　world　has　been

eating　green　apples；　to　his　eyes；　in　fact；　the　globe　itself　is　a

great　green　apple；　which　there　is　danger　awful　to　think　of　that　the

children　of　men　will　nibble　before　it　is　ripe；　and　straightway　his

drastic　philanthropy　seeks　out　the　Esquimau　and　the　Patagonian；　and

embraces　the　populous　Indian　and　Chinese　villages；　and　thus；　by　a

few　years　of　philanthropic　activity；　the　powers　in　the　meanwhile

using　him　for　their　own　ends；　no　doubt；　he　cures　himself　of　his

dyspepsia；　the　globe　acquires　a　faint　blush　on　one　or　both　of　its

cheeks；　as　if　it　were　beginning　to　be　ripe；　and　life　loses　its

crudity　and　is　once　more　sweet　and　wholesome　to　live。　　I　never

dreamed　of　any　enormity　greater　than　I　have　committed。　　I　never

knew；　and　never　shall　know；　a　worse　man　than　myself。

　　　　I　believe　that　what　so　saddens　the　reformer　is　not　his　sympathy

with　his　fellows　in　distress；　but；　though　he　be　the　holiest　son　of

God；　is　his　private　ail。　　Let　this　be　righted；　let　the　spring　come

to　him；　the　morning　rise　over　his　couch；　and　he　will　forsake　his

generous　companions　without　apology。　　My　excuse　for　not　lecturing

against　the　use　of　tobacco　is；　that　I　never　chewed　it；　that　is　a

penalty　which　reformed　tobacco…chewers　have　to　pay；　though　there　are

things　enough　I　have　chewed　which　I　could　lecture　against。　　If　you

should　ever　be　betrayed　into　any　of　these　philanthropies；　do　not　let

your　left　hand　know　what　your　right　hand　does；　for　it　is　not　worth

knowing。　　Rescue　the　drowning　and　tie　your　shoestrings。　　Take　your

time；　and　set　about　some　free　labor。

　　　　Our　manners　have　been　corrupted　by　communication　with　the

saints。　　Our　hymn…books　resound　with　a　melodious　cursing　of　God　and

enduring　Him　forever。　　One　would　say　that　even　the　prophets　and

redeemers　had　rather　consoled　the　fears　than　confirmed　the　hopes　of

man。　　There　is　nowhere　recorded　a　simple　and　irrepressible

satisfaction　with　the　gift　of　life；　any　memorable　praise　of　God。

All　health　and　success　does　me　good；　however　far　off　and　withdrawn

it　may　appear；　all　disease　and　failure　helps　to　make　me　sad　and　does

me　evil；　however　much　sympathy　it　may　have　with　me　or　I　with　it。

If；　then；　we　would　indeed　restore　mankind　by　truly　Indian；　botanic；

magnetic；　or　natural　means；　let　us　first　be　as　simple　and　well　as

Nature　ourselves；　dispel　the　clouds　which　hang　over　our　own　brows；

and　take　up　a　little　life　into　our　pores。　　Do　not　stay　to　be　an

overseer　of　the　poor；　but　endeavor　to　become　one　of　the　worthies　of

the　world。

　　　　I　read　in　the　Gulistan；　or　Flower　Garden；　of　Sheik　Sadi　of

Shiraz；　that　〃they　asked　a　wise　man；　saying：　Of　the　many　celebrated

trees　which　the　Most　High　God　has　created　lofty　and　umbrageous；　they

call　none　azad；　or　free；　excepting　the　cypress；　which　bears　no

fruit；　what　mystery　is　there　in　this？　　He　replied；　Each　has　its

appropriate　produce；　and　appointed　season；　during　the　continuance　of

which　it　is　fresh　and　blooming；　and　during　their　absence　dry　and

withered；　to　neither　of　which　states　is　the　cypress　exposed；　being

always　flourishing；　and　of　this　nature　are　the　azads；　or　religious

independents。　　Fix　not　thy　heart　on　that　which　is　transitory；　for

the　Dijlah；　or　Tigris；　will　continue　to　flow　through　Bagdad　after

the　race　of　caliphs　is　extinct：　if　thy　hand　has　plenty；　be　liberal

as　the　date　tree；　but　if　it　affords　nothing　to　give　away；　be　an

azad；　or　free　man；　like　the　cypress。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　COMPLEMENTAL　VERSES

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Pretensions　of　Poverty

　　　　　　　　　　Thou　dost　presume　too　much；　poor　needy　wretch；

　　　　　　　　　　To　claim　a　station　in　the　firmament

　　　　　　　　　　Because　thy　humble　cottage；　or　thy　tub；

　　　　　　　　　　Nurses　some　lazy　or　pedantic　virtue

　　　　　　　　　　I