01-what is man-第11章

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They　think　humbug　is　good　enough　morals　when　the　dividend　on　it

is　good　deeds　and　handsome　conduct。



Y。M。　　It　is　my　opinion　that　under　your　scheme　of　a　man's

doing　a　good　deed　for　his　OWN　sake　first…off；　instead　of　first

for　the　GOOD　DEED'S　sake；　no　man　would　ever　do　one。



O。M。　　Have　you　committed　a　benevolence　lately？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　This　morning。



O。M。　　Give　the　particulars。



Y。M。　　The　cabin　of　the　old　negro　woman　who　used　to　nurse　me

when　I　was　a　child　and　who　saved　my　life　once　at　the　risk　of　her

own；　was　burned　last　night；　and　she　came　mourning　this　morning；

and　pleading　for　money　to　build　another　one。



O。M。　　You　furnished　it？



Y。M。　　Certainly。



O。M。　　You　were　glad　you　had　the　money？



Y。M。　　Money？　　I　hadn't。　　I　sold　my　horse。



O。M。　　You　were　glad　you　had　the　horse？



Y。M。　　Of　course　I　was；　for　if　I　hadn't　had　the　horse　I

should　have　been　incapable；　and　my　MOTHER　would　have　captured　the

chance　to　set　old　Sally　up。



O。M。　　You　were　cordially　glad　you　were　not　caught　out　and

incapable？



Y。M。　　Oh；　I　just　was！



O。M。　　Now；　then



Y。M。　　Stop　where　you　are！　　I　know　your　whole　catalog　of

questions；　and　I　could　answer　every　one　of　them　without　your

wasting　the　time　to　ask　them；　but　I　will　summarize　the　whole

thing　in　a　single　remark：　　I　did　the　charity　knowing　it　was

because　the　act　would　give　ME　a　splendid　pleasure；　and　because

old　Sally's　moving　gratitude　and　delight　would　give　ME　another

one；　and　because　the　reflection　that　she　would　be　happy　now　and

out　of　her　trouble　would　fill　ME　full　of　happiness。　　I　did　the

whole　thing　with　my　eyes　open　and　recognizing　and　realizing　that

I　was　looking　out　for　MY　share　of　the　profits　FIRST。　　Now　then；　I

have　confessed。　　Go　on。



O。M。　　I　haven't　anything　to　offer；　you　have　covered　the

whole　ground。　　Can　you　have　been　any　MORE　strongly　moved　to　help

Sally　out　of　her　troublecould　you　have　done　the　deed　any　more

eagerlyif　you　had　been　under　the　delusion　that　you　were　doing

it　for　HER　sake　and　profit　only？



Y。M。　　No！　　Nothing　in　the　world　could　have　made　the　impulse

which　moved　me　more　powerful；　more　masterful；　more　thoroughly

irresistible。　　I　played　the　limit！



O。M。　　Very　well。　　You　begin　to　suspectand　I　claim　to　KNOW

that　when　a　man　is　a　shade　MORE　STRONGLY　MOVED　to　do　ONE　of　two

things　or　of　two　dozen　things　than　he　is　to　do　any　one　of　the

OTHERS；　he　will　infallibly　do　that　ONE　thing；　be　it　good　or　be　it

evil；　and　if　it　be　good；　not　all　the　beguilements　of　all　the

casuistries　can　increase　the　strength　of　the　impulse　by　a　single

shade　or　add　a　shade　to　the　comfort　and　contentment　he　will　get

out　of　the　act。



Y。M。　　Then　you　believe　that　such　tendency　toward　doing　good

as　is　in　men's　hearts　would　not　be　diminished　by　the　removal　of

the　delusion　that　good　deeds　are　done　primarily　for　the　sake　of

No。　2　instead　of　for　the　sake　of　No。　1？



O。M。　　That　is　what　I　fully　believe。



Y。M。　　Doesn't　it　somehow　seem　to　take　from　the　dignity　of　the　deed？



O。M。　　If　there　is　dignity　in　falsity；　it　does。　　It　removes　that。



Y。M。　　What　is　left　for　the　moralists　to　do？



O。M。　　Teach　unreservedly　what　he　already　teaches　with　one

side　of　his　mouth　and　takes　back　with　the　other：　　Do　right　FOR

YOUR　OWN　SAKE；　and　be　happy　in　knowing　that　your　NEIGHBOR　will

certainly　share　in　the　benefits　resulting。



Y。M。　　Repeat　your　Admonition。



O。M。　　DILIGENTLY　TRAIN　YOUR　IDEALS　UPWARD　AND　STILL　UPWARD

TOWARD　A　SUMMIT　WHERE　YOU　WILL　FIND　YOUR　CHIEFEST　PLEASURE　IN

CONDUCT　WHICH；　WHILE　CONTENTING　YOU；　WILL　BE　SURE　TO　CONFER

BENEFITS　UPON　YOUR　NEIGHBOR　AND　THE　COMMUNITY。



Y。M。　　One's　EVERY　act　proceeds　from　EXTERIOR　INFLUENCES；　you　think？



O。M。　　Yes。



Y。M。　　If　I　conclude　to　rob　a　person；　I　am　not　the　ORIGINATOR

of　the　idea；　but　it　comes　in　from　the　OUTSIDE？　　I　see　him

handling　moneyfor　instanceand　THAT　moves　me　to　the　crime？



O。M。　　That；　by　itself？　　Oh；　certainly　not。　　It　is　merely　the

LATEST　outside　influence　of　a　procession　of　preparatory

influences　stretching　back　over　a　period　of　years。　　No　SINGLE

outside　influence　can　make　a　man　do　a　thing　which　is　at　war　with

his　training。　　The　most　it　can　do　is　to　start　his　mind　on　a　new

tract　and　open　it　to　the　reception　of　NEW　influencesas　in　the

case　of　Ignatius　Loyola。　　In　time　these　influences　can　train　him

to　a　point　where　it　will　be　consonant　with　his　new　character　to

yield　to　the　FINAL　influence　and　do　that　thing。　　I　will　put　the

case　in　a　form　which　will　make　my　theory　clear　to　you；　I　think。

Here　are　two　ingots　of　virgin　gold。　　They　shall　represent　a

couple　of　characters　which　have　been　refined　and　perfected　in　the

virtues　by　years　of　diligent　right　training。　　Suppose　you　wanted

to　break　down　these　strong　and　well…compacted　characterswhat

influence　would　you　bring　to　bear　upon　the　ingots？



Y。M。　　Work　it　out　yourself。　　Proceed。



O。M。　　Suppose　I　turn　upon　one　of　them　a　steam…jet　during　a

long　succession　of　hours。　　Will　there　be　a　result？



Y。M。　　None　that　I　know　of。



O。M。　　Why？



Y。M。　　A　steam…jet　cannot　break　down　such　a　substance。



O。M。　　Very　well。　　The　steam　is　an　OUTSIDE　INFLUENCE；　but　it

is　ineffective　because　the　gold　TAKES　NO　INTEREST　IN　IT。　　The

ingot　remains　as　it　was。　　Suppose　we　add　to　the　steam　some

quicksilver　in　a　vaporized　condition；　and　turn　the　jet　upon　the

ingot；　will　there　be　an　instantaneous　result？



Y。M。　　No。



O。M。　　The　QUICKSILVER　is　an　outside　influence　which　gold　（by

its　peculiar　naturesay　TEMPERAMENT；　DISPOSITION）　CANNOT　BE

INDIFFERENT　TO。　　It　stirs　up　the　interest　of　the　gold；　although

we　do　not　perceive　it；　but　a　SINGLE　application　of　the　influence

works　no　damage。　　Let　us　continue　the　application　in　a　steady

stream；　and　call　each　minute　a　year。　　By　the　end　of　ten　or　twenty

minutesten　or　twenty　yearsthe　little　ingot　is　sodden　with

quicksilver；　its　virtues　are　gone；　its　character　is　degraded。　　At

last　it　is　ready　to　yield　to　a　temptation　which　it　would　have

taken　no　notice　of；　ten　or　twenty　years　ago。　　We　will　apply　that

temptation　in　the　form　of　a　pressure　of　my　finger。　　You　note　the

result？



Y。M。　　Yes；　the　ingot　has　crumbled　to　sand。　　I　understand；

now。　　It　is　not　the　SINGLE　outside　influence　that　does　the　work；

but　only　the　LAST　one　of　a　long　and　disintegrating　accumulation

of　them。　　I　see；　now；　how　my　SINGLE　impulse　to　rob　the　man　is　not

the　one　that　makes　me　do　it；　but　only　the　LAST　one　of　a

preparatory　series。　　You　might　illustrate　with　a　parable。







A　Parable



O。M。　　I　will。　　There　was　once　a　pair　of　New　England　boys

twins。　　They　were　alike　in　good　dispositions；　feckless　morals；

and　personal　appearance。　　They　were　the　models　of　the　Sunday…

school。　　At　fifteen　George　had　the　opportunity　to　go　as　cabin…boy

in　a　whale…ship；　and　sailed　away　for　the　Pacific。　　Henry　remained

at　home　in　the　village。　　At　eighteen　George　was　a　sailor　before

the　mast；　and　Henry　was　teacher　of　the　advanced　Bible　class。　　At

twenty…two　George；　through　fighting…habits　and　drinking…habits

acquired　at　sea　and　in　the　sailor　boarding…houses　of　the　European

and　Oriental　ports；　was　a　common　rough　in　Hong…Kong；　and　out　of　a

job；　and　Henry　was　superintendent　of　the　Sunday…school。　　At

twenty…six　George　was　a　wanderer；　a　tramp；　and　Henry　was　pastor

of　the　village　church。　　Then　George　came　home；　and　was　Henry's

guest。　　One　evening　a　man　passed　by　and　turned　down　the　lane；　and

Henry　said；　with　a　pathetic　smile；　〃Without　intending　me　a

discomfort；　that　man　is　always　keeping　me　reminded　of　my　pinching

poverty；　for　he　carries　heaps　of　money　about　him；　and　goes　by

here　every　evening　of　his　life。〃　　That　OUTSIDE　INFLUENCEthat

remarkwas　enough　for　George；　but　IT　was　not　the　one　that　made

him　ambush　the　man　and　rob　him；　it　merely　represented　the　eleven

years'　accumulation　of　such　influences；　and　gave　birth　to　the　act

for　which　their　long　gestation　had　made　preparation。　　It　had

never　ente