the story of my heart-第19章

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insanity；　and　all　these　have　been　of　no　more　value　than　the　tortures
undergone　by　the　Indian　mendicant　who　hangs　himself　up　by　a　hook　through　his
back。　All　these　are　pure　folly。

Asceticism　has　not　improved　the　form；　or　the　physical　well…being；　or　the
heart　of　any　human　being。　On　the　contrary；　the　hetaira　is　often　the　warmest
hearted　and　the　most　generous。　Casuistry　and　self…examination　are　perhaps
the　most　injurious　of　all　the　virtues；　utterly　destroying　independence　of
mind。　Self…denial　has　had　no　result；　and　all　the　self…torture　of　centuries
has　been　thrown　away。　Lives　spent　in　doing　good　have　been　lives　nobly
wasted。　Everything　is　in　vain。　　The　circle　of　ideas　we　possess　is　too
limited　to　aid　us。　We　need　ideas　as　far　outside　our　circle　as　ours　are
outside　those　that　were　pondered　over　by　Augustus　Caesar。

The　most　extraordinary　spectacle；　as　it　seems　to　me；　is　the　vast
expenditure　of　labour　and　time　wasted　in　obtaining　mere　subsistence。　As　a
man；　in　his　lifetime；　works　hard　and　saves　money；　that　his　children　may　be
free　from　the　cares　of　penury　and　may　at　least　have　sufficient　to　eat；
drink；　clothe；　and　roof　them；　so　the　generations　that　preceded　us　might；　had
they　so　chosen；　have　provided　for　our　subsistence。　The　labour　and　time　of
ten　generations；　properly　directed；　would　sustain　a　hundred　generations
succeeding　to　them；　and　that；　too；　with　so　little　self…denial　on　the　part　of
the　providers　as　to　be　scarcely　felt。　So　men　now；　in　this　generation；　ought
clearly　to　be　laying　up　a　store；　or；　what　is　still　more　powerful；　arranging
and　organising　that　the　generations　which　follow　may　enjoy　comparative
freedom　from　useless　labour。　Instead　of　which；　with　transcendent
improvidence；　the　world　works　only　for　to…day；　as　the　world　worked　twelve
thousand　years　ago；　and　our　children's　children　will　still　have　to　toil　and
slave　for　the　bare　necessities　of　life。　This　is；　indeed　an　extraordinary
spectacle。

That　twelve　thousand　written　years　should　have　elapsed；　and　the
human　raceable　to　reason　and　to　think；　and　easily　capable　of
combination　in　immense　armies　for　its　own　destructionshould　still　live
from　hand　to　mouth；　like　cattle　and　sheep；　like　the　animals　of　the　field　and
the　birds　of　the　woods；　that　there　should　not　even　be　roofs　to　cover　the
children　born；　unless　those　children　labour　and　expend　their　time　to　pay　for
them；　that　there　should　not　be　clothes；　unless；　again；time　and　labour　are
expended　to　procure　them；　that　there　should　not　be　even　food　for　the
children　of　the　human　race；　except　they　labour　as　their　fathers　did　twelve
thousand　years　ago；　that　even　water　should　scarce　be　accessible　to　them；
unless　paid　for　by　labour！　In　twelve　thousand　written　years　the　world　has
not　yet　built　itself　a　House；　nor　filled　a　Granary；　nor　organised　itself　for
its　own
comfort。　It　is　so　marvellous　I　cannot　express　the　wonder　with　which　it　fills
me。　And　more　wonderful　still；　if　that　could　be；
there　are　people　so　infatuated；　or；　rather；　so　limited　of　view；
that　they　glory　in　this　state　of　things；　declaring　that　work
is　the　main　object　of　man's　existencework　for　subsistence
and　glorying　in　their　wasted　time。　To　argue　with　such　is　impossible；　to
leave　them　is　the　only　resource。

This　our　earth　this　day　produces　sufficient　for　our　existence。
This　our　earth　produces　not　only　a　sufficiency；　but　a
superabundance；　and　pours　a　cornucopia　of　good　things　down　upon
us。　Further；　it　produces　sufficient　for　stores　and　granaries　to
be　filled　to　the　rooftree　for　years　ahead。　I　verily　believe
that　the　earth　in　one　year　produces　enough　food　to　last　for
thirty。　Why；　then；　have　we　not　enough？　Why　do　people　die　of
starvation；　or　lead　a　miserable　existence　on　the　verge　of　it？
Why　have　millions　upon　millions　to　toil　from　morning　to　evening
just　to　gain　a　mere　crust　of　bread？　Because　of　the　absolute
lack　of　Organisation　by　which　such　labour　should　produce　its
effect；　the　absolute　lack　of　distribution；　the　absolute　lack　even　of　the
very　idea　that　such　things　are　possible。
Nay；　even　to　mention　such　things；　to　say　that　they　are　possible；　is　criminal
with　many。　　Madness　could　hardly　go　farther。

That　selfishness　has　all　to　do　with　it　I　entirely　deny。　The
human　race　for　ages　upon　ages　has　been　enslaved　by　ignorance　and
by　interested　persons　whose　object　it　has　been　to　confine　the
minds　of　men；　thereby　doing　more　injury　than　if　with　infected
hands　they　purposely　imposed　disease　on　the　heads　of　the　people。　Almost
worse　than　these；　and　at　the　present　day　as　injurious；　are　those　persons
incessantly　declaring；　teaching；　and
impressing　upon　all　that　to　work　is　man's　highest　condition。
This　falsehood　is　the　interested　superstition　of　an　age
infatuated　with　money；　which　having　accumulated　it　cannot　even
expend　it　in　pageantry。　It　is　a　falsehood　propagated　for　the
doubtful　benefit　of　two　or　three　out　of　ten　thousand；　It　is　the
lie　of　a　morality　founded　on　money　only；　and　utterly　outside　and
having　no　association　whatever　with　the　human　being　in　itself。
Many　superstitions　have　been　got　rid　of　in　these　days；　time　it　is　that　this；
the　last　and　worst；　were　eradicated。

At　this　hour；　out　of　thirty…four　millions　who　inhabit　this
country；　two…thirdssay　twenty…two　millionslive　within　thirty
years　of　that　abominable　institution　the　poorhouse。　That　any
human　being　should　dare　to　apply　to　another　the　epithet　〃pauper〃　is；　to　me；
the　greatest；　the　vilest；　the　most　unpardonable　crime　that　could　be
committed。　Each　human　being；　by　mere　birth；　has　a　birthright　in　this　earth
and　all　its　productions；　and　if　they　do　not　receive　it；　then　it　is　they　who
are　injured；　and　it　is　not　the　〃pauper〃oh；　inexpressibly　wicked　word！it
is　the　well…to…do；　who　are　the　criminal　classes。
It　matters　not　in　the　least　if　the　poor　be　improvident；　or　drunken；　or　evil
in　any　way。　Food　and　drink；　roof　and　clothes；　are　the　inalienable　right　of
every　child　born　into　the　light。　If　the　world　does　not　provide　it
freelynot　as　a　grudging　gift　but　as　a　right；　as　a　son　of　the　house　sits
down　to　breakfastthen　is　the　world　mad。　But　the　world　is　not　mad；　only　in
ignorancean　interested　ignorance；　kept　up　by　strenuous　exertions；　from
which　infernal　darkness　it　will；　in　course　of　time；　emerge；　marvelling　at
the　past　as　a　man　wonders　at　and　glories　in　the　light　who　has　escaped　from
blindness。


CHAPTER　XI

This　our　earth　produces　not　only　a　sufficiency　a　superabundance；　but　in　one
year　pours　a　cornucopia　of　good　things　forth；　enough　to　fill　us　for　many
years　in　succession。　The　only　reason　we　do　not　enjoy　it　is　the　want　of
rational　organisation。　I　know；　of　course；　and　all　who　think　know；　that　some
labour　or　supervision　will　always　necessary；　since　the　plough　must　travel
the　furrow　and　the　seed　must　must　be　sown；　but　I　maintain　that　a　tenth；
nay；　a　hundredth；　part　of　the　labour　and　slavery　now　gone　through　will　be
sufficient；　and　that　in　the　course　of　time；　as　organisation　perfects　itself
and　discoveries　advance；　even　that　part　will　diminish。　For　the　rise　and　fall
of　the　tides　alone　furnish　forth　sufficient　power　to　do　automatically　all
the　labour　that　is　done　on　the　earth。　Is　ideal　man；　then；　to　be　idle？　I
answer　that；　if　so；　I　see　no　wrong；　but　a　great　good。　I　deny　altogether　that
idleness　is　an　evil；　or　that　it　produces　evil；　and　I　am　well　aware　why　the
interested　are　so　bitter　against　idlenessnamely；　because　it　gives　time　for
thought；　and　if　men　had　time　to　think　their　reign　would　come　to　an　end。
Idlenessthat　is；　the　absence　of　the　necessity　to　work　for　subsistenceis
a　great　good。

I　hope　succeeding　generations　will　be　able　to　be　ideal。　I　hope　that
nine…tenths　of　their　time　will　be　leisure　time；　that　they　may　enjoy　their
days；　and　the　earth；　and　the　beauty　of　this　beautiful　world；　that　they　may
rest　by　the　sea　and　dream；　that　they　may　dance　and　sing；　and　eat　and　drink。
I　will　work　towards　that　end　with　all　my　heart。　If　employment　they　must
haveand　the　restlessness　of　the　mind　will　insure　that　some　will　be
followedthen　they　will　find　scope　enough　in　the　perfection　of　their
physical　frames；　in　the　expansion　of　the　mind；　and　in　the
enlargement　of　the　soul。　They　shall　not　work　for　bread；　but　for
their　souls。　I　am　willing