01-the kreutzer sonata-第25章

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even　in　the　last　resource　to　encourage　its　practice。　　I　am　of

opinion　that　this　is　not　right。



It　is　not　possible　that　the　health　of　one　class　should

necessitate　the　ruin　of　another；　and；　in　consequence；　it　is　our

first　duty　to　turn　a　deaf　ear　to　such　an　essential　immoral

doctrine；　no　matter　how　strongly　society　may　have　established　or

law　protected　it。　　Moreover；　it　needs　to　be　fully　recognized　that

men　are　rightly　to　be　held　responsible　for　the　consequences　of

their　own　acts；　and　that　these　are　no　longer　to　be　visited　on　the

woman　alone。　　It　follows　from　this　that　it　is　the　duty　of　men　who

do　not　wish　to　lead　a　life　of　infamy　to　practice　such　continence

in　respect　to　all　woman　as　they　would　were　the　female　society　in

which　they　move　made　up　exclusively　of　their　own　mothers　and

sisters。



A　more　rational　mode　of　life　should　be　adopted　which　would

include　abstinence　from　all　alcoholic　drinks；　from　excess　in

eating　and　from　flesh　meat；　on　the　one　hand；　and　recourse　to

physical　labor　on　the　other。　　I　am　not　speaking　of　gymnastics；　or

of　any　of　those　occupations　which　may　be　fitly　described　as

playing　at　work；　　I　mean　the　genuine　toil　that　fatigues。　　No　one

need　go　far　in　search　of　proofs　that　this　kind　of　abstemious

living　is　not　merely　possible；　but　far　less　hurtful　to　health

than　excess。　　Hundreds　of　instances　are　known　to　every　one。　　This

is　my　first　contention。



In　the　second　place；　I　think　that　of　late　years；　through　various

reasons　which　I　need　not　enter；　but　among　which　the

above…mentioned　laxity　of　opinion　in　society　and　the　frequent

idealization　of　the　subject　in　current　literature　and　painting

may　be　mentioned；　conjugal　infidelity　has　become　more　common　and

is　considered　less　reprehensible。　　I　am　of　opinion　that　this　is

not　right。　　The　origin　of　the　evil　is　twofold。　　It　is　due；　in　the

first　place；　to　a　natural　instinct；　and；　in　the　second；　to　the

elevation　of　this　instinct　to　a　place　to　which　it　does　not

rightly　belong。　　This　being　so；　the　evil　can　only　be　remedied　by

effecting　a　change　in　the　views　now　in　vogue　about　〃falling　in

love〃　and　all　that　this　term　implies；　by　educating　men　and　women

at　home　through　family　influence　and　example；　and　abroad　by　means

of　healthy　public　opinion；　to　practice　that　abstinence　which

morality　and　Christianity　alike　enjoin。　　This　is　my　second

contention。



In　the　third　place　I　am　of　opinion　that　another　consequence　of

the　false　light　in　which　〃falling　in　love；〃　and　what　it　leads　to；

are　viewed　in　our　society；　is　that　the　birth　of　children　has　lost

its　pristine　significance；　and　that　modern　marriages　are

conceived　less　and　less　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　family。　　I

am　of　opinion　that　this　is　not　right。　　This　is　my　third

contention。



In　the　fourth　place；　I　am　of　opinion　that　the　children　（who　in

our　society　are　considered　an　obstacle　to　enjoymentan　unlucky

accident；　as　it　were）　are　educated　not　with　a　view　to　the　problem

which　they　will　be　one　day　called　on　to　face　and　to　solve；　but

solely　with　an　eye　to　the　pleasure　which　they　may　be　made　to

yield　to　their　parents。　　The　consequence　is；　that　the　children　of

human　beings　are　brought　up　for　all　the　world　like　the　young　of

animals；　the　chief　care　of　their　parents　being　not　to　train　them

to　such　work　as　is　worthy　of　men　and　women；　but　to　increase　their

weight；　or　add　a　cubit　to　their　stature；　to　make　them　spruce；

sleek；　well…fed；　and　comely。　　They　rig　them　out　in　all　manner　of

fantastic　costumes；　wash　them；　over…feed　them；　and　refuse　to　make

them　work。　　If　the　children　of　the　lower　orders　differ　in　this

last　respect　from　those　of　the　well…to…do　classes；　the　difference

is　merely　formal；　they　work　from　sheer　necessity；　and　not　because

their　parents　recognize　work　as　a　duty。　　And　in　over…fed

children；　as　in　over…fed　animals；　sensuality　is　engendered

unnaturally　early。



Fashionable　dress　to…day；　the　course　of　reading；　plays；　music；

dances；　luscious　food；　all　the　elements　of　our　modern　life；　in　a

word；　from　the　pictures　on　the　little　boxes　of　sweetmeats　up　to

the　novel；　the　tale；　and　the　poem；　contribute　to　fan　this

sensuality　into　a　strong；　consuming　flame；　with　the　result　that

sexual　vices　and　diseases　have　come　to　be　the　normal　conditions

of　the　period　of　tender　youth；　and　often　continue　into　the　riper

age　of　full…blown　manhood。　　And　I　am　of　opinion　that　this　is　not

right。



It　is　high　time　it　ceased。　　The　children　of　human　beings　should

not　be　brought　up　as　if　they　were　animals；　and　we　should　set　up

as　the　object　and　strive　to　maintain　as　the　result　of　our　labors

something　better　and　nobler　than　a　well…dressed　body。　　This　is　my

fourth　contention。



In　the　fifth　place；　I　am　of　opinion　that；　owing　to　the

exaggerated　and　erroneous　significance　attributed　by　our　society

to　love　and　to　the　idealized　states　that　accompany　and　succeed

it；　the　best　energies　of　our　men　and　women　are　drawn　forth　and

exhausted　during　the　most　promising　period　of　life；　those　of　the

men　in　the　work　of　looking　for；　choosing；　and　winning　the　most

desirable　objects　of　love；　for　which　purpose　lying　and　fraud　are

held　to　be　quite　excusable；　those　of　the　women　and　girls　in

alluring　men　and　decoying　them　into　liaisons　or　marriage　by　the

most　questionable　means　conceivable；　as　an　instance　of　which　the

present　fashions　in　evening　dress　may　be　cited。　　I　am　of　opinion

that　this　is　not　right。



The　truth　is；　that　the　whole　affair　has　been　exalted　by　poets　and

romancers　to　an　undue　importance；　and　that　love　in　its　various

developments　is　not　a　fitting　object　to　consume　the　best　energies

of　men。　　People　set　it　before　them　and　strive　after　it；　because

their　view　of　life　is　as　vulgar　and　brutish　as　is　that　other

conception　frequently　met　with　in　the　lower　stages　of

development；　which　sees　in　luscious　and　abundant　food　an　end

worthy　of　man's　best　efforts。　　Now；　this　is　not　right　and　should

not　be　done。　　And；　in　order　to　avoid　doing　it；　it　is　only　needful

to　realize　the　fact　that　whatever　truly　deserves　to　be　held　up　as

a　worthy　object　of　man's　striving　and　working；　whether　it　be　the

service　of　humanity；　of　one's　country；　of　science；　of　art；　not　to

speak　of　the　service　of　God；　is　far　above　and　beyond　the　sphere

of　personal　enjoyment。　　Hence；　it　follows　that　not　only　to　form　a

liaison；　but　even　to　contract　marriage；　is；　from　a　Christian

point　of　view；　not　a　progress；　but　a　fall。　Love；　and　all　the

states　that　accompany　and　follow　it；　however　we　may　try　in　prose

and　verse　to　prove　the　contrary；　never　do　and　never　can

facilitate　the　attainment　of　an　aim　worthy　of　men；　but　always

make　it　more　difficult。　　This　is　my　fifth　contention。



How　about　the　human　race？　　If　we　admit　that　celibacy　is　better

and　nobler　than　marriage；　evidently　the　human　race　will　come　to

an　end。　　But；　if　the　logical　conclusion　of　the　argument　is　that

the　human　race　will　become　extinct；　the　whole　reasoning　is　wrong。



To　that　I　reply　that　the　argument　is　not　mine；　I　did　not　invent

it。　　That　it　is　incumbent　on　mankind　so　to　strive；　and　that

celibacy　is　preferable　to　marriage；　are　truths　revealed　by　Christ

1；900　years　ago；　set　forth　in　our　catechisms；　and　professed　by　us

as　followers　of　Christ。



Chastity　and　celibacy；　it　is　urged；　cannot　constitute　the　ideal

of　humanity；　because　chastity　would　annihilate　the　race　which

strove　to　realize　it；　and　humanity　cannot　set　up　as　its　ideal　its

own　annihilation。　　It　may　be　pointed　out　in　reply　that　only　that

is　a　true　ideal；　which；　being　unattainable；　admits　of　infinite

gradation　in　degrees　of　proximity。　　Such　is　the　Christian　ideal

of　the　founding　of　God's　kingdom；　the　union　of　all　living

creatures　by　the　bonds　of　love。　　The　conception　of　its　attainment

is　incompatible　with　the　conception　of　the　movement　of　life。　

What　kind　of　life　could　subsist　if　all　living　creatures　were

joined　together　by　the　bonds　of　love？　　None。　　Our　conception　of

life　is　inseparably　bound　up　with　the