01-economy-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



bank　where　they　are　mortgaged。　　The　man　who　has　actually　paid　for

his　farm　with　labor　on　it　is　so　rare　that　every　neighbor　can　point

to　him。　　I　doubt　if　there　are　three　such　men　in　Concord。　　What　has

been　said　of　the　merchants；　that　a　very　large　majority；　even

ninety…seven　in　a　hundred；　are　sure　to　fail；　is　equally　true　of　the

farmers。　　With　regard　to　the　merchants；　however；　one　of　them　says

pertinently　that　a　great　part　of　their　failures　are　not　genuine

pecuniary　failures；　but　merely　failures　to　fulfil　their　engagements；

because　it　is　inconvenient；　that　is；　it　is　the　moral　character　that

breaks　down。　　But　this　puts　an　infinitely　worse　face　on　the　matter；

and　suggests；　beside；　that　probably　not　even　the　other　three　succeed

in　saving　their　souls；　but　are　perchance　bankrupt　in　a　worse　sense

than　they　who　fail　honestly。　　Bankruptcy　and　repudiation　are　the

springboards　from　which　much　of　our　civilization　vaults　and　turns

its　somersets；　but　the　savage　stands　on　the　unelastic　plank　of

famine。　　Yet　the　Middlesex　Cattle　Show　goes　off　here　with　eclat

annually；　as　if　all　the　joints　of　the　agricultural　machine　were

suent。

　　　　The　farmer　is　endeavoring　to　solve　the　problem　of　a　livelihood

by　a　formula　more　complicated　than　the　problem　itself。　　To　get　his

shoestrings　he　speculates　in　herds　of　cattle。　　With　consummate　skill

he　has　set　his　trap　with　a　hair　spring　to　catch　comfort　and

independence；　and　then；　as　he　turned　away；　got　his　own　leg　into　it。

This　is　the　reason　he　is　poor；　and　for　a　similar　reason　we　are　all

poor　in　respect　to　a　thousand　savage　comforts；　though　surrounded　by

luxuries。　　As　Chapman　sings；



　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃The　false　society　of　men　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　for　earthly　greatness

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　All　heavenly　comforts　rarefies　to　air。〃



　　　　And　when　the　farmer　has　got　his　house；　he　may　not　be　the　richer

but　the　poorer　for　it；　and　it　be　the　house　that　has　got　him。　　As　I

understand　it；　that　was　a　valid　objection　urged　by　Momus　against　the

house　which　Minerva　made；　that　she　〃had　not　made　it　movable；　by

which　means　a　bad　neighborhood　might　be　avoided〃；　and　it　may　still

be　urged；　for　our　houses　are　such　unwieldy　property　that　we　are

often　imprisoned　rather　than　housed　in　them；　and　the　bad

neighborhood　to　be　avoided　is　our　own　scurvy　selves。　　I　know　one　or

two　families；　at　least；　in　this　town；　who；　for　nearly　a　generation；

have　been　wishing　to　sell　their　houses　in　the　outskirts　and　move

into　the　village；　but　have　not　been　able　to　accomplish　it；　and　only

death　will　set　them　free。

　　　　Granted　that　the　majority　are　able　at　last　either　to　own　or　hire

the　modern　house　with　all　its　improvements。　　While　civilization　has

been　improving　our　houses；　it　has　not　equally　improved　the　men　who

are　to　inhabit　them。　　It　has　created　palaces；　but　it　was　not　so　easy

to　create　noblemen　and　kings。　　And　if　the　civilized　man's　pursuits

are　no　worthier　than　the　savage's；　if　he　is　employed　the　greater

part　of　his　life　in　obtaining　gross　necessaries　and　comforts　merely；

why　should　he　have　a　better　dwelling　than　the　former？

　　　　But　how　do　the　poor　minority　fare？　　Perhaps　it　will　be　found

that　just　in　proportion　as　some　have　been　placed　in　outward

circumstances　above　the　savage；　others　have　been　degraded　below　him。

The　luxury　of　one　class　is　counterbalanced　by　the　indigence　of

another。　　On　the　one　side　is　the　palace；　on　the　other　are　the

almshouse　and　〃silent　poor。〃　　The　myriads　who　built　the　pyramids　to

be　the　tombs　of　the　Pharaohs　were　fed　on　garlic；　and　it　may　be　were

not　decently　buried　themselves。　　The　mason　who　finishes　the　cornice

of　the　palace　returns　at　night　perchance　to　a　hut　not　so　good　as　a

wigwam。　　It　is　a　mistake　to　suppose　that；　in　a　country　where　the

usual　evidences　of　civilization　exist；　the　condition　of　a　very　large

body　of　the　inhabitants　may　not　be　as　degraded　as　that　of　savages。

I　refer　to　the　degraded　poor；　not　now　to　the　degraded　rich。　　To　know

this　I　should　not　need　to　look　farther　than　to　the　shanties　which

everywhere　border　our　railroads；　that　last　improvement　in

civilization；　where　I　see　in　my　daily　walks　human　beings　living　in

sties；　and　all　winter　with　an　open　door；　for　the　sake　of　light；

without　any　visible；　often　imaginable；　wood…pile；　and　the　forms　of

both　old　and　young　are　permanently　contracted　by　the　long　habit　of

shrinking　from　cold　and　misery；　and　the　development　of　all　their

limbs　and　faculties　is　checked。　　It　certainly　is　fair　to　look　at

that　class　by　whose　labor　the　works　which　distinguish　this

generation　are　accomplished。　　Such　too；　to　a　greater　or　less　extent；

is　the　condition　of　the　operatives　of　every　denomination　in　England；

which　is　the　great　workhouse　of　the　world。　　Or　I　could　refer　you　to

Ireland；　which　is　marked　as　one　of　the　white　or　enlightened　spots　on

the　map。　　Contrast　the　physical　condition　of　the　Irish　with　that　of

the　North　American　Indian；　or　the　South　Sea　Islander；　or　any　other

savage　race　before　it　was　degraded　by　contact　with　the　civilized

man。　　Yet　I　have　no　doubt　that　that　people's　rulers　are　as　wise　as

the　average　of　civilized　rulers。　　Their　condition　only　proves　what

squalidness　may　consist　with　civilization。　　I　hardly　need　refer　now

to　the　laborers　in　our　Southern　States　who　produce　the　staple

exports　of　this　country；　and　are　themselves　a　staple　production　of

the　South。　　But　to　confine　myself　to　those　who　are　said　to　be　in

moderate　circumstances。

　　　　Most　men　appear　never　to　have　considered　what　a　house　is；　and

are　actually　though　needlessly　poor　all　their　lives　because　they

think　that　they　must　have　such　a　one　as　their　neighbors　have。　　As　if

one　were　to　wear　any　sort　of　coat　which　the　tailor　might　cut　out　for

him；　or；　gradually　leaving　off　palm…leaf　hat　or　cap　of　woodchuck

skin；　complain　of　hard　times　because　he　could　not　afford　to　buy　him

a　crown！　　It　is　possible　to　invent　a　house　still　more　convenient　and

luxurious　than　we　have；　which　yet　all　would　admit　that　man　could　not

afford　to　pay　for。　　Shall　we　always　study　to　obtain　more　of　these

things；　and　not　sometimes　to　be　content　with　less？　　Shall　the

respectable　citizen　thus　gravely　teach；　by　precept　and　example；　the

necessity　of　the　young　man's　providing　a　certain　number　of

superfluous　glow…shoes；　and　umbrellas；　and　empty　guest　chambers　for

empty　guests；　before　he　dies？　　Why　should　not　our　furniture　be　as

simple　as　the　Arab's　or　the　Indian's？　　When　I　think　of　the

benefactors　of　the　race；　whom　we　have　apotheosized　as　messengers

from　heaven；　bearers　of　divine　gifts　to　man；　I　do　not　see　in　my　mind

any　retinue　at　their　heels；　any　carload　of　fashionable　furniture。

Or　what　if　I　were　to　allow　　would　it　not　be　a　singular　allowance？

　that　our　furniture　should　be　more　complex　than　the　Arab's；　in

proportion　as　we　are　morally　and　intellectually　his　superiors！　　At

present　our　houses　are　cluttered　and　defiled　with　it；　and　a　good

housewife　would　sweep　out　the　greater　part　into　the　dust　hole；　and

not　leave　her　morning's　work　undone。　　Morning　work！　　By　the　blushes

of　Aurora　and　the　music　of　Memnon；　what　should　be　man's　morning　work

in　this　world？　　I　had　three　pieces　of　limestone　on　my　desk；　but　I

was　terrified　to　find　that　they　required　to　be　dusted　daily；　when

the　furniture　of　my　mind　was　all　undusted　still；　and　threw　them　out

the　window　in　disgust。　　How；　then；　could　I　have　a　furnished　house？

I　would　rather　sit　in　the　open　air；　for　no　dust　gathers　on　the

grass；　unless　where　man　has　broken　ground。

　　　　It　is　the　luxurious　and　dissipated　who　set　the　fashions　which

the　herd　so　diligently　follow。　　The　traveller　who　stops　at　the　best

houses；　so　called；　soon　discovers　this；　for　the　publicans　presume

him　to　be　a　Sardanapalus；　and　if　he　resigned　himself　to　their　tender

mercies　he　would　soon　be　completely　emasculated。　　I　think　that　in

the　railroad　car　we　are　inclined　to　spend　more　on　luxury　than　on

safety　and　convenience；　and　it　threatens　without　attaining　these　to

become　no　better　than　a　modern　drawing…room；　wit