erewhon-第37章

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again；　can　I　understand　why　their　having　done　so　should　have　been；
as　it　certainly　was；　a　matter　of　so　much　concern　to　myself。　　What
could　it　matter　to　me　how　many　absurdities　the　Erewhonians　might
adopt？　　Nevertheless　I　longed　to　make　them　think　as　I　did；　for　the
wish　to　spread　those　opinions　that　we　hold　conducive　to　our　own
welfare　is　so　deeply　rooted　in　the　English　character　that　few　of　us
can　escape　its　influence。　　But　let　this　pass。

In　spite　of　not　a　few　modifications　in　practice　of　a　theory　which
is　itself　revolting；　the　relations　between　children　and　parents　in
that　country　are　less　happy　than　in　Europe。　　It　was　rarely　that　I
saw　cases　of　real　hearty　and　intense　affection　between　the　old
people　and　the　young　ones。　　Here　and　there　I　did　so；　and　was　quite
sure　that　the　children；　even　at　the　age　of　twenty；　were　fonder　of
their　parents　than　they　were　of　any　one　else；　and　that　of　their　own
inclination；　being　free　to　choose　what　company　they　would；　they
would　often　choose　that　of　their　father　and　mother。　　The
straightener's　carriage　was　rarely　seen　at　the　door　of　those
houses。　　I　saw　two　or　three　such　cases　during　the　time　that　I
remained　in　the　country；　and　cannot　express　the　pleasure　which　I
derived　from　a　sight　suggestive　of　so　much　goodness　and　wisdom　and
forbearance；　so　richly　rewarded；　yet　I　firmly　believe　that　the　same
thing　would　happen　in　nine　families　out　of　ten　if　the　parents　were
merely　to　remember　how　they　felt　when　they　were　young；　and　actually
to　behave　towards　their　children　as　they　would　have　had　their　own
parents　behave　towards　themselves。　　But　this；　which　would　appear　to
be　so　simple　and　obvious；　seems　also　to　be　a　thing　which　not　one　in
a　hundred　thousand　is　able　to　put　in　practice。　　It　is　only　the　very
great　and　good　who　have　any　living　faith　in　the　simplest　axioms；
and　there　are　few　who　are　so　holy　as　to　feel　that　19　and　13　make　32
as　certainly　as　2　and　2　make　4。

I　am　quite　sure　that　if　this　narrative　should　ever　fall　into
Erewhonian　hands；　it　will　be　said　that　what　I　have　written　about
the　relations　between　parents　and　children　being　seldom
satisfactory　is　an　infamous　perversion　of　facts；　and　that　in　truth
there　are　few　young　people　who　do　not　feel　happier　in　the　society
of　their　nearest　relations　｛4｝　than　in　any　other。　　Mr。　Nosnibor
would　be　sure　to　say　this。　　Yet　I　cannot　refrain　from　expressing　an
opinion　that　he　would　be　a　good　deal　embarrassed　if　his　deceased
parents　were　to　reappear　and　propose　to　pay　him　a　six　months'
visit。　　I　doubt　whether　there　are　many　things　which　he　would　regard
as　a　greater　infliction。　　They　had　died　at　a　ripe　old　age　some
twenty　years　before　I　came　to　know　him；　so　the　case　is　an　extreme
one；　but　surely　if　they　had　treated　him　with　what　in　his　youth　he
had　felt　to　be　true　unselfishness；　his　face　would　brighten　when　he
thought　of　them　to　the　end　of　his　life。

In　the　one　or　two　cases　of　true　family　affection　which　I　met　with；
I　am　sure　that　the　young　people　who　were　so　genuinely　fond　of　their
fathers　and　mothers　at　eighteen；　would　at　sixty　be　perfectly
delighted　were　they　to　get　the　chance　of　welcoming　them　as　their
guests。　　There　is　nothing　which　could　please　them　better；　except
perhaps　to　watch　the　happiness　of　their　own　children　and
grandchildren。

This　is　how　things　should　be。　　It　is　not　an　impossible　ideal；　it　is
one　which　actually　does　exist　in　some　few　cases；　and　might　exist　in
almost　all；　with　a　little　more　patience　and　forbearance　upon　the
parents'　part；　but　it　is　rare　at　presentso　rare　that　they　have　a
proverb　which　I　can　only　translate　in　a　very　roundabout　way；　but
which　says　that　the　great　happiness　of　some　people　in　a　future
state　will　consist　in　watching　the　distress　of　their　parents　on
returning　to　eternal　companionship　with　their　grandfathers　and
grandmothers；　whilst　〃compulsory　affection〃　is　the　idea　which　lies
at　the　root　of　their　word　for　the　deepest　anguish。

There　is　no　talisman　in　the　word　〃parent〃　which　can　generate
miracles　of　affection；　and　I　can　well　believe　that　my　own　child
might　find　it　less　of　a　calamity　to　lose　both　Arowhena　and　myself
when　he　is　six　years　old；　than　to　find　us　again　when　he　is　sixtya
sentence　which　I　would　not　pen　did　I　not　feel　that　by　doing　so　I
was　giving　him　something　like　a　hostage；　or　at　any　rate　putting　a
weapon　into　his　hands　against　me；　should　my　selfishness　exceed
reasonable　limits。

Money　is　at　the　bottom　of　all　this　to　a　great　extent。　　If　the
parents　would　put　their　children　in　the　way　of　earning　a　competence
earlier　than　they　do；　the　children　would　soon　become　self…
supporting　and　independent。　　As　it　is；　under　the　present　system；
the　young　ones　get　old　enough　to　have　all　manner　of　legitimate
wants　（that　is；　if　they　have　any　〃go〃　about　them）　before　they　have
learnt　the　means　of　earning　money　to　pay　for　them；　hence　they　must
either　do　without　them；　or　take　more　money　than　the　parents　can　be
expected　to　spare。　　This　is　due　chiefly　to　the　schools　of　Unreason；
where　a　boy　is　taught　upon　hypothetical　principles；　as　I　will
explain　hereafter；　spending　years　in　being　incapacitated　for　doing
this；　that；　or　the　other　（he　hardly　knows　what）；　during　all　which
time　he　ought　to　have　been　actually　doing　the　thing　itself；
beginning　at　the　lowest　grades；　picking　it　up　through　actual
practice；　and　rising　according　to　the　energy　which　is　in　him。

These　schools　of　Unreason　surprised　me　much。　　It　would　be　easy　to
fall　into　pseudo…utilitarianism；　and　I　would　fain　believe　that　the
system　may　be　good　for　the　children　of　very　rich　parents；　or　for
those　who　show　a　natural　instinct　to　acquire　hypothetical　lore；　but
the　misery　was　that　their　Ydgrun…worship　required　all　people　with
any　pretence　to　respectability　to　send　their　children　to　some　one
or　other　of　these　schools；　mulcting　them　of　years　of　money。　　It
astonished　me　to　see　what　sacrifices　the　parents　would　make　in
order　to　render　their　children　as　nearly　useless　as　possible；　and
it　was　hard　to　say　whether　the　old　suffered　most　from　the　expense
which　they　were　thus　put　to；　or　the　young　from　being　deliberately
swindled　in　some　of　the　most　important　branches　of　human　inquiry；
and　directed　into　false　channels　or　left　to　drift　in　the　great
majority　of　cases。

I　cannot　think　I　am　mistaken　in　believing　that　the　growing　tendency
to　limit　families　by　infanticidean　evil　which　was　causing　general
alarm　throughout　the　countrywas　almost　entirely　due　to　the　way　in
which　education　had　become　a　fetish　from　one　end　of　Erewhon　to　the
other。　　Granted　that　provision　should　be　made　whereby　every　child
should　be　taught　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic；　but　here
compulsory　state…aided　education　should　end；　and　the　child　should
begin　（with　all　due　precautions　to　ensure　that　he　is　not
overworked）　to　acquire　the　rudiments　of　that　art　whereby　he　is　to
earn　his　living。

He　cannot　acquire　these　in　what　we　in　England　call　schools　of
technical　education；　such　schools　are　cloister　life　as　against　the
rough　and　tumble　of　the　world；　they　unfit；　rather　than　fit　for　work
in　the　open。　　An　art　can　only　be　learned　in　the　workshop　of　those
who　are　winning　their　bread　by　it。

Boys；　as　a　rule；　hate　the　artificial；　and　delight　in　the　actual；
give　them　the　chance　of　earning；　and　they　will　soon　earn。　　When
parents　find　that　their　children；　instead　of　being　made
artificially　burdensome；　will　early　begin　to　contribute　to　the
well…being　of　the　family；　they　will　soon　leave　off　killing　them；
and　will　seek　to　have　that　plenitude　of　offspring　which　they　now
avoid。　　As　things　are；　the　state　lays　greater　burdens　on　parents
than　flesh　and　blood　can　bear；　and　then　wrings　its　hands　over　an
evil　for　which　it　is　itself　mainly　responsible。

With　the　less　well…dressed　classes　the　harm　was　not　so　great；　for
among　these；　at　about　ten　years　old；　the　child　has　to　begin　doing
something：　　if　he　is　capable　he　makes　his　way　up；　if　he　is　not；　he
is　at　any　rate　not　made　more　incapable　by　what　his　friends　are
pleased　to　call　his　education。　　People　find　their　level　as　a　rule；
and　though　they　unfortunately　sometimes　miss　it；　it　is　in　the　main
true　that　those　who　have　valuable　qualities　are　perceived　to　have
them　and　can　sell　t