erewhon revisited-第27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！


manager　of　the　new　temple；　and　it　is　important　that　he　should　have
it　to…night。　　Be　pleased；　therefore；　to　take　it　to　him　and　deliver
it　into　his　own　hands；　but　I　had　rather　you　said　nothing　about　it
to　the　Mayor　or　Mayoress；　nor　to　any　of　your　fellow…servants。　　Slip
out　unperceived　if　you　can。　　When　you　have　delivered　the　note；　ask
for　an　answer　at　once；　and　bring　it　to　me。〃

So　saying；　he　slipped　a　sum　equal　to　about　five　shillings　into　the
man's　hand。

The　servant　returned　in　about　twenty　minutes；　for　the　temple　was
quite　near；　and　gave　a　note　to　Hanky；　which　ran；　〃Your　wishes　shall
be　attended　to　without　fail。〃

〃Good！〃　said　Hanky　to　the　man。　　〃No　one　in　the　house　knows　of　your
having　run　this　errand　for　me？〃

〃No　one；　sir。〃

〃Thank　you！　　I　wish　you　a　very　good　night。〃



CHAPTER　XIII：　　A　VISIT　TO　THE　PROVINCIAL　DEFORMATORY　AT　FAIRMEAD



Having　finished　his　early　dinner；　and　not　fearing　that　he　should　be
either　recognised　at　Fairmead　or　again　enquired　after　from
Sunch'ston；　my　father　went　out　for　a　stroll　round　the　town；　to　see
what　else　he　could　find　that　should　be　new　and　strange　to　him。　　He
had　not　gone　far　before　he　saw　a　large　building　with　an　inscription
saying　that　it　was　the　Provincial　Deformatory　for　Boys。　　Underneath
the　larger　inscription　there　was　a　smaller　oneone　of　those
corrupt　versions　of　my　father's　sayings；　which；　on　dipping　into　the
Sayings　of　the　Sunchild；　he　had　found　to　be　so　vexatiously　common。
The　inscription　ran：…


〃When　the　righteous　man　turneth　away　from　the　righteousness　that　he
hath　committed；　and　doeth　that　which　is　a　little　naughty　and　wrong；
he　will　generally　be　found　to　have　gained　in　amiability　what　he　has
lost　in　righteousness。〃　　Sunchild　Sayings；　chap。　xxii。　v。　15。


The　case　of　the　little　girl　that　he　had　watched　earlier　in　the　day
had　filled　him　with　a　great　desire　to　see　the　working　of　one　of
these　curious　institutions；　he　therefore　resolved　to　call　on　the
headmaster　（whose　name　he　found　to　be　Turvey）；　and　enquire　about
terms；　alleging　that　he　had　a　boy　whose　incorrigible　rectitude　was
giving　him　much　anxiety。　　The　information　he　had　gained　in　the
forenoon　would　be　enough　to　save　him　from　appearing　to　know　nothing
of　the　system。　　On　having　rung　the　bell；　he　announced　himself　to
the　servant　as　a　Mr。　Senoj；　and　asked　if　he　could　see　the
Principal。

Almost　immediately　he　was　ushered　into　the　presence　of　a　beaming；
dapper…looking；　little　old　gentleman；　quick　of　speech　and　movement；
in　spite　of　some　little　portliness。

〃Ts；　ts；　ts；〃　he　said；　when　my　father　had　enquired　about　terms　and
asked　whether　he　might　see　the　system　at　work。　　〃How　unfortunate
that　you　should　have　called　on　a　Saturday　afternoon。　　We　always
have　a　half…holiday。　　But　stayyesthat　will　do　very　nicely；　I
will　send　for　them　into　school　as　a　means　of　stimulating　their
refractory　system。〃

He　called　his　servant　and　told　him　to　ring　the　boys　into　school。
Then；　turning　to　my　father　he　said；　〃Stand　here；　sir；　by　the
window；　you　will　see　them　all　come　trooping　in。　　H'm；　h'm；　I　am
sorry　to　see　them　still　come　back　as　soon　as　they　hear　the　bell。　　I
suppose　I　shall　ding　some　recalcitrancy　into　them　some　day；　but　it
is　uphill　work。　　Do　you　see　the　head…boythe　third　of　those　that
are　coming　up　the　path？　　I　shall　have　to　get　rid　of　him。　　Do　you
see　him？　he　is　going　back　to　whip　up　the　laggersand　now　he　has
boxed　a　boy's　ears：　　that　boy　is　one　of　the　most　hopeful　under　my
care。　　I　feel　sure　he　has　been　using　improper　language；　and　my
head…boy　has　checked　him　instead　of　encouraging　him。〃　　And　so　on
till　the　boys　were　all　in　school。

〃You　see；　my　dear　sir；〃　he　said　to　my　father；　〃we　are　in　an
impossible　position。　　We　have　to　obey　instructions　from　the　Grand
Council　of　Education　at　Bridgeford；　and　they　have　established　these
institutions　in　consequence　of　the　Sunchild's　having　said　that　we
should　aim　at　promoting　the　greatest　happiness　of　the　greatest
number。　　This；　no　doubt；　is　a　sound　principle；　and　the　greatest
number　are　by　nature　somewhat　dull；　conceited；　and　unscrupulous。
They　do　not　like　those　who　are　quick；　unassuming；　and　sincere；　how；
then；　consistently　with　the　first　principles　either　of　morality　or
political　economy　as　revealed　to　us　by　the　Sunchild；　can　we
encourage　such　people　if　we　can　bring　sincerity　and　modesty　fairly
home　to　them？　　We　cannot　do　so。　　And　we　must　correct　the　young　as
far　as　possible　from　forming　habits　which；　unless　indulged　in　with
the　greatest　moderation；　are　sure　to　ruin　them。

〃I　cannot　pretend　to　consider　myself　very　successful。　　I　do　my
best；　but　I　can　only　aim　at　making　my　school　a　reflection　of　the
outside　world。　　In　the　outside　world　we　have　to　tolerate　much　that
is　prejudicial　to　the　greatest　happiness　of　the　greatest　number；
partly　because　we　cannot　always　discover　in　time　who　may　be　let
alone　as　being　genuinely　insincere；　and　who　are　in　reality　masking
sincerity　under　a　garb　of　flippancy；　and　partly　also　because　we
wish　to　err　on　the　side　of　letting　the　guilty　escape；　rather　than
of　punishing　the　innocent。　　Thus　many　people　who　are　perfectly　well
known　to　belong　to　the　straightforward　classes　are　allowed　to
remain　at　large；　and　may　be　even　seen　hobnobbing　with　the　guardians
of　public　immorality。　　Indeed　it　is　not　in　the　public　interest　that
straightforwardness　should　be　extirpated　root　and　branch；　for　the
presence　of　a　small　modicum　of　sincerity　acts　as　a　wholesome
irritant　to　the　academicism　of　the　greatest　number；　stimulating　it
to　consciousness　of　its　own　happy　state；　and　giving　it　something　to
look　down　upon。　　Moreover；　we　hold　it　useful　to　have　a　certain
number　of　melancholy　examples；　whose　notorious　failure　shall　serve
as　a　warning　to　those　who　neglect　cultivating　that　power　of　immoral
self…control　which　shall　prevent　them　from　saying；　or　even
thinking；　anything　that　shall　not　immediately　and　palpably　minister
to　the　happiness；　and　hence　meet　the　approval；　of　the　greatest
number。〃

By　this　time　the　boys　were　all　in　school。　　〃There　is　not　one　prig
in　the　whole　lot；〃　said　the　headmaster　sadly。　　〃I　wish　there　was；
but　only　those　boys　come　here　who　are　notoriously　too　good　to
become　current　coin　in　the　world　unless　they　are　hardened　with　an
alloy　of　vice。　　I　should　have　liked　to　show　you　our　gambling；　book…
making；　and　speculation　class；　but　the　assistant…master　who　attends
to　this　branch　of　our　curriculum　is　gone　to　Sunch'ston　this
afternoon。　　He　has　friends　who　have　asked　him　to　see　the　dedication
of　the　new　temple；　and　he　will　not　be　back　till　Monday。　　I　really
do　not　know　what　I　can　do　better　for　you　than　examine　the　boys　in
Counsels　of　Imperfection。

So　saying；　he　went　into　the　schoolroom；　over　the　fireplace　of　which
my　father's　eye　caught　an　inscription；　〃Resist　good；　and　it　will
fly　from　you。　　Sunchild's　Sayings；　xvii。　2。〃　　Then；　taking　down　a
copy　of　the　work　just　named　from　a　shelf　above　his　desk；　he　ran　his
eye　over　a　few　of　its　pages。

He　called　up　a　class　of　about　twenty　boys。

〃Now；　my　boys；〃　he　said；　〃Why　is　it　so　necessary　to　avoid　extremes
of　truthfulness？〃

〃It　is　not　necessary；　sir；〃　said　one　youngster；　〃and　the　man　who
says　that　it　is　so　is　a　scoundrel。〃

〃Come　here；　my　boy；　and　hold　out　your　hand。〃　　When　he　had　done　so；
Mr。　Turvey　gave　him　two　sharp　cuts　with　a　cane。　　〃There　now；　go
down　to　the　bottom　of　the　class　and　try　not　to　be　so　extremely
truthful　in　future。〃　　Then；　turning　to　my　father；　he　said；　〃I　hate
caning　them；　but　it　is　the　only　way　to　teach　them。　　I　really　do
believe　that　boy　will　know　better　than　to　say　what　he　thinks
another　time。〃

He　repeated　his　question　to　the　class；　and　the　head…boy　answered；
〃Because；　sir；　extremes　meet；　and　extreme　truth　will　be　mixed　with
extreme　falsehood。〃

〃Quite　right；　my　boy。　　Truth　is　like　religion；　it　has　only　two
enemiesthe　too　much　and　the　too　little。　　Your　answer　is　more
satisfactory　than　some　of　your　recent　conduct　had　led　me　to
expect。〃

〃But；　sir；　you　punished　me　only　three　weeks　ago　for　telling　you　a
lie。〃

〃Oh　yes；　why；　so　I　did；　I　had　forgotten。　　But　then　you　overdid　it。
Still　it　was　a　step　in　the　right　direction。〃

〃And　now；　my　boy；〃　he　said　to　a　very　frank