01-what is man-第6章

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O。M。　　And　many　a　missionary；　　sternly　fortified　by　his　sense

of　duty；　would　not　have　been　troubled　by　the　pagan　mother's

distressJesuit　missionaries　in　Canada　in　the　early　French

times；　for　instance；　see　episodes　quoted　by　Parkman。



Y。M。　　Well；　let　us　adjourn。　　Where　have　we　arrived？



O。M。　　At　this。　　That　we　（mankind）　have　ticketed　ourselves

with　a　number　of　qualities　to　which　we　have　given　misleading

names。　　Love；　Hate；　Charity；　Compassion；　Avarice；　Benevolence；

and　so　on。　　I　mean　we　attach　misleading　MEANINGS　to　the　names。

They　are　all　forms　of　self…contentment；　self…gratification；　but

the　names　so　disguise　them　that　they　distract　our　attention　from

the　fact。　　Also　we　have　smuggled　a　word　into　the　dictionary　which

ought　not　to　be　there　at　allSelf…Sacrifice。　　It　describes　a

thing　which　does　not　exist。　　But　worst　of　all；　we　ignore　and

never　mention　the　Sole　Impulse　which　dictates　and　compels　a　man's

every　act：　　the　imperious　necessity　of　securing　his　own　approval；

in　every　emergency　and　at　all　costs。　　To　it　we　owe　all　that　we

are。　　It　is　our　breath；　our　heart；　our　blood。　　It　is　our　only

spur；　our　whip；　our　goad；　our　only　impelling　power；　we　have　no

other。　　Without　it　we　should　be　mere　inert　images；　corpses；　no

one　would　do　anything；　there　would　be　no　progress；　the　world

would　stand　still。　　We　ought　to　stand　reverently　uncovered　when

the　name　of　that　stupendous　power　is　uttered。



Y。M。　　I　am　not　convinced。



O。M。　　You　will　be　when　you　think。







III



Instances　in　Point





Old　Man。　　Have　you　given　thought　to　the　Gospel　of　Self…

Approval　since　we　talked？



Young　Man。　　I　have。



O。M。　　It　was　I　that　moved　you　to　it。　　That　is　to　say　an

OUTSIDE　INFLUENCE　moved　you　to　itnot　one　that　originated　in

your　head。　　Will　you　try　to　keep　that　in　mind　and　not　forget　it？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　Why？



O。M。　　Because　by　and　by　in　one　of　our　talks；　I　wish　to

further　impress　upon　you　that　neither　you；　nor　I；　nor　any　man

ever　originates　a　thought　in　his　own　head。　　THE　UTTERER　OF　A

THOUGHT　ALWAYS　UTTERS　A　SECOND…HAND　ONE。



Y。M。　　Oh；　now



O。M。　　Wait。　　Reserve　your　remark　till　we　get　to　that　part　of

our　discussiontomorrow　or　next　day；　say。　　Now；　then；　have　you

been　considering　the　proposition　that　no　act　is　ever　born　of　any

but　a　self…contenting　impulse（primarily）。　　You　have　sought。

What　have　you　found？



Y。M。　　I　have　not　been　very　fortunate。　　I　have　examined　many

fine　and　apparently　self…sacrificing　deeds　in　romances　and

biographies；　but



O。M。　　Under　searching　analysis　the　ostensible　self…sacrifice

disappeared？　　It　naturally　would。



Y。M。　　But　here　in　this　novel　is　one　which　seems　to　promise。

In　the　Adirondack　woods　is　a　wage…earner　and　lay　preacher　in　the

lumber…camps　who　is　of　noble　character　and　deeply　religious。　　An

earnest　and　practical　laborer　in　the　New　York　slums　comes　up

there　on　vacationhe　is　leader　of　a　section　of　the　University

Settlement。　　Holme；　the　lumberman；　is　fired　with　a　desire　to

throw　away　his　excellent　worldly　prospects　and　go　down　and　save

souls　on　the　East　Side。　　He　counts　it　happiness　to　make　this

sacrifice　for　the　glory　of　God　and　for　the　cause　of　Christ。　　He

resigns　his　place；　makes　the　sacrifice　cheerfully；　and　goes　to

the　East　Side　and　preaches　Christ　and　Him　crucified　every　day　and

every　night　to　little　groups　of　half…civilized　foreign　paupers

who　scoff　at　him。　　But　he　rejoices　in　the　scoffings；　since　he　is

suffering　them　in　the　great　cause　of　Christ。　　You　have　so　filled

my　mind　with　suspicions　that　I　was　constantly　expecting　to　find　a

hidden　questionable　impulse　back　of　all　this；　but　I　am　thankful

to　say　I　have　failed。　　This　man　saw　his　duty；　and　for　DUTY'S　SAKE

he　sacrificed　self　and　assumed　the　burden　it　imposed。



O。M。　　Is　that　as　far　as　you　have　read？



Y。M。　　Yes。



O。M。　　Let　us　read　further；　presently。　　Meantime；　in

sacrificing　himselfNOT　for　the　glory　of　God；　PRIMARILY；　as　HE

imagined；　but　FIRST　to　content　that　exacting　and　inflexible

master　within　himDID　HE　SACRIFICE　ANYBODY　ELSE？



Y。M。　　How　do　you　mean？



O。M。　　He　relinquished　a　lucrative　post　and　got　mere　food　and

lodging　in　place　of　it。　　Had　he　dependents？



Y。M。　　Wellyes。



O。M。　　In　what　way　and　to　what　extend　did　his　self…sacrifice

affect　THEM？



Y。M。　　He　was　the　support　of　a　superannuated　father。　　He　had

a　young　sister　with　a　remarkable　voicehe　was　giving　her　a

musical　education；　so　that　her　longing　to　be　self…supporting

might　be　gratified。　　He　was　furnishing　the　money　to　put　a　young

brother　through　a　polytechnic　school　and　satisfy　his　desire　to

become　a　civil　engineer。



O。M。　　The　old　father's　comforts　were　now　curtailed？



Y。M。　　Quite　seriously。　　Yes。



O。M。　　The　sister's　music…lessens　had　to　stop？



Y。M。　　Yes。



O。M。　　The　young　brother's　educationwell；　an　extinguishing

blight　fell　upon　that　happy　dream；　and　he　had　to　go　to　sawing

wood　to　support　the　old　father；　or　something　like　that？



Y。M。　　It　is　about　what　happened。　　Yes。



O。M。　　What　a　handsome　job　of　self…sacrificing　he　did　do！　　It

seems　to　me　that　he　sacrificed　everybody　EXCEPT　himself。　　Haven't

I　told　you　that　no　man　EVER　sacrifices　himself；　that　there　is　no

instance　of　it　upon　record　anywhere；　and　that　when　a　man's

Interior　Monarch　requires　a　thing　of　its　slave　for　either　its

MOMENTARY　or　its　PERMANENT　contentment；　that　thing　must　and　will

be　furnished　and　that　command　obeyed；　no　matter　who　may　stand　in

the　way　and　suffer　disaster　by　it？　　That　man　RUINED　HIS　FAMILY　to

please　and　content　his　Interior　Monarch



Y。M。　　And　help　Christ's　cause。



O。M。　　YesSECONDLY。　　Not　firstly。　　HE　thought　it　was　firstly。



Y。M。　　Very　well；　have　it　so；　if　you　will。　　But　it　could　be

that　he　argued　that　if　he　saved　a　hundred　souls　in　New　York



O。M。　　The　sacrifice　of　the　FAMILY　would　be　justified　by　that

great　profit　upon　thethewhat　shall　we　call　it？



Y。M。　　Investment？



O。M。　　Hardly。　　How　would　SPECULATION　do？　　How　would　GAMBLE

do？　　Not　a　solitary　soul…capture　was　sure。　　He　played　for　a

possible　thirty…three…hundred…per…cent　profit。　　It　was　GAMBLING

with　his　family　for　〃chips。〃　　However　let　us　see　how　the　game

came　out。　　Maybe　we　can　get　on　the　track　of　the　secret　original

impulse；　the　REAL　impulse；　that　moved　him　to　so　nobly　self…

sacrifice　his　family　in　the　Savior's　cause　under　the　superstition

that　he　was　sacrificing　himself。　　I　will　read　a　chapter　or　so。　。

。　。　　Here　we　have　it！　　It　was　bound　to　expose　itself　sooner　or

later。　　He　preached　to　the　East…Side　rabble　a　season；　then　went

back　to　his　old　dull；　obscure　life　in　the　lumber…camps　〃HURT　TO

THE　HEART；　HIS　PRIDE　HUMBLED。〃　　Why？　　Were　not　his　efforts

acceptable　to　the　Savior；　for　Whom　alone　they　were　made？　　Dear

me；　that　detail　is　LOST　SIGHT　OF；　is　not　even　referred　to；　the

fact　that　it　started　out　as　a　motive　is　entirely　forgotten！　　Then

what　is　the　trouble？　　The　authoress　quite　innocently　and

unconsciously　gives　the　whole　business　away。　　The　trouble　was

this：　　this　man　merely　PREACHED　to　the　poor；　that　is　not　the

University　Settlement's　way；　it　deals　in　larger　and　better　things

than　that；　and　it　did　not　enthuse　over　that　crude　Salvation…Army

eloquence。　　It　was　courteous　to　Holmebut　cool。　　It　did　not　pet

him；　did　not　take　him　to　its　bosom。　　〃PERISHED　WERE　ALL　HIS

DREAMS　OF　DISTINCTION；　THE　PRAISE　AND　GRATEFUL　APPROVAL〃　　Of

whom？　　The　Savior？　　No；　the　Savior　is　not　mentioned。　　Of　whom；

then？　　Of　〃His　FELLOW…WORKERS。〃　　Why　did　he　want　that？　　Because

the　Master　inside　of　him　wanted　it；　and　would　not　be　content

without　it。　　That　emphasized　sentence　quoted　above；　reveals　the

secret　we　have　been　seeking；　the　original　impulse；　the　REAL

impulse；　which　moved　the　obscure　and　unappreciated　Adirondack

lumberman　to　sacrifice　his　family　and　go　on　that　crusade　to　the

East　Sidewhich　said　original　impulse　was　this；　to　wit：　　without

knowing　it　HE　WENT　THERE　TO　SHOW　A　NEGLECTED　WORLD　THE　LARGE