in darkest england and the way out-第13章

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。　Next　day　he　had　a　day's　work；　and　got　two　shillings　and　sixpence；　and　on　the　strength　of　this　they　took　a　furnished　room　at　tenpence　per　day　（payable　nightly）。　　His　work　lasted　a　few　weeks；　when　he　was　again　taken　ill；　lost　his　job；　and　spent　all　their　money。　　Pawned　a　shirt　and　apron　for　a　shilling；　spent　that；　too。　　At　last　pawned　their　tools　for　three　shillings；　which　got　them　a　few　days'　food　and　lodging。　　He　is　now　minus　tools　and　cannot　work　at　his　own　job；　and　does　anything　he　can。　　Spent　their　last　twopence　on　a　pen'orth　each　of　tea　and　sugar。　In　two　days　they　had　a　slice　of　bread　and　butter　each；　that's　all。　They　are　both　very　weak　through　want　of　food。

〃Let　things　alone；〃　the　laws　of　supply　and　demand；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　excuses　by　which　those　who　stand　on　firm　ground　salve　their　consciences　when　they　leave　their　brother　to　sink；　how　do　they　look　when　we　apply　them　to　the　actual　loss　of　life　at　sea？　　Does　〃Let　things　alone〃　man　the　lifeboat？　　Will　the　inexorable　laws　of　political　economy　save　the　shipwrecked　sailor　from　the　boiling　surf？　　They　often　enough　are　responsible　for　his　disaster。　　Coffin　ships　are　a　direct　result　of　the　wretched　policy　of　non…interference　with　the　legitimate　operations　of　commerce；　but　no　desire　to　make　it　pay　created　the　National　Lifeboat　Institution；　no　law　of　supply　and　demand　actuates　the　volunteers　who　risk　their　lives　to　bring　the　shipwrecked　to　shore。

What　we　have　to　do　is　to　apply　the　same　principle　to　society。　　We　want　a　Social　Lifeboat　Institution；　a　Social　Lifeboat　Brigade；　to　snatch　from　the　abyss　those　who；　if　left　to　themselves；　will　perish　as　miserably　as　the　crew　of　a　ship　that　founders　in　mid…ocean。

The　moment　that　we　take　in　hand　this　work　we　shall　be　compelled　to　turn　our　attention　seriously　to　the　question　whether　prevention　is　not　better　than　cure。　　It　is　easier　and　cheaper；　and　in　every　way　better；　to　prevent　the　loss　of　home　than　to　have　to　re…create　that　home。　It　is　better　to　keep　a　man　out　of　the　mire　than　to　let　him　fall　in　first　and　then　risk　the　chance　of　plucking　him　out。　　Any　Scheme；　therefore；　that　attempts　to　deal　with　the　reclamation　of　the　lost　must　tend　to　develop　into　an　endless　variety　of　ameliorative　measures；　of　some　of　which　I　shall　have　somewhat　to　say　hereafter。　　I　only　mention　the　subject　here　in　order　that　no　one　may　say　I　am　blind　to　the　necessity　of　going　further　and　adopting　wider　plans　of　operation　than　those　which　I　put　forward　in　this　book。　　The　renovation　of　our　Social　System　is　a　work　so　vast　that　no　one　of　us；　nor　all　of　us　put　together；　can　define　all　the　measures　that　will　have　to　be　taken　before　we　attain　even　the　Cab…Horse　Ideal　of　existence　for　our　children　and　children's　children。　　All　that　we　can　do　is　to　attack；　in　a　serious；　practical　spirit　the　worst　and　most　pressing　evils；　knowing　that　if　we　do　our　duty　we　obey　the　voice　of　God。　　He　is　the　Captain　of　our　Salvation。　If　we　but　follow　where　He　leads　we　shall　not　want　for　marching　orders；　nor　need　we　imagine　that　He　will　narrow　the　field　of　operations。

I　am　labouring　under　no　delusions　as　to　the　possibility　of　inaugurating　the　Millennium　by　any　social　specific。　　In　the　struggle　of　life　the　weakest　will　go　to　the　wall；　and　there　are　so　many　weak。　　The　fittest；　in　tooth　and　claw；　will　survive。　　All　that　we　can　do　is　to　soften　the　lot　of　the　unfit　and　make　their　suffering　less　horrible　than　it　is　at　present。　　No　amount　of　assistance　will　give　a　jellyfish　a　backbone。　No　outside　propping　will　make　some　men　stand　erect。　　All　material　help　from　without　is　useful　only　in　so　far　as　it　develops　moral　strength　within。　　And　some　men　seem　to　have　lost　even　the　very　faculty　of　self…help。　　There　is　an　immense　lack　of　common　sense　and　of　vital　energy　on　the　part　of　multitudes。

It　is　against　Stupidity　in　every　shape　and　form　that　we　have　to　wage　our　eternal　battle。　　But　how　can　we　wonder　at　the　want　of　sense　on　the　part　of　those　who　have　had　no　advantages；　when　we　see　such　plentiful　absence　of　that　commodity　on　the　part　of　those　who　have　had　all　the　advantages？

How　can　we　marvel　if；　after　leaving　generation　after　generation　to　grow　up　uneducated　and　underfed；　there　should　be　developed　a　heredity　of　incapacity；　and　that　thousands　of　dull…witted　people　should　be　born　into　the　world；　disinherited　before　their　birth　of　their　share　in　the　average　intelligence　of　mankind？

Besides　those　who　are　thus　hereditarily　wanting　in　the　qualities　necessary　to　enable　them　to　hold　their　own；　there　are　the　weak；　the　disabled；　the　aged；　and　the　unskilled；　worse　than　all；　there　is　the　want　of　character。　　Those　who　have　the　best　of　reputation；　if　they　lose　their　foothold　on　the　ladder；　find　it　difficult　enough　to　regain　their　place。　　What；　then；　can　men　and　women　who　have　no　character　do？　　When　a　master　has　the　choice　of　a　hundred　honest　men；　is　it　reasonable　to　expect　that　he　will　select　a　poor　fellow　with　　tarnished　reputation？　All　this　is　true；　and　it　is　one　of　the　things　that　makes　the　problem　almost　insoluble。　　And　insoluble　it　is；　I　am　absolutely　convinced　unless　it　is　possible　to　bring　new　moral　life　into　the　soul　of　these　people。　　This　should　be　the　first　object　of　every　social　reformer；　whose　work　will　only　last　if　it　is　built　on　the　solid　foundation　of　a　new　birth；　to　cry　〃You　must　be　born　again。〃

To　get　a　man　soundly　saved　it　is　not　enough　to　put　on　him　a　pair　of　new　breeches；　to　give　him　regular　work；　or　even　to　give　him　a　University　education。　　These　things　are　all　outside　a　man；　and　if　the　inside　remains　unchanged　you　have　wasted　your　labour。　　You　must　in　some　way　or　other　graft　upon　the　man's　nature　a　new　nature；　which　has　in　it　the　element　of　the　Divine。　　All　that　I　propose　in　this　book　is　governed　by　that　principle。

The　difference　between　the　method　which　seeks　to　regenerate　the　man　by　ameliorating　his　circumstances　and　that　which　ameliorates　his　circumstances　in　order　to　get　at　the　regeneration　of　his　heart；　is　the　difference　between　the　method　of　the　gardener　who　grafts　a　Ribstone　Pippin　on　a　crab…apple　tree　and　one　who　merely　ties　apples　with　string　upon　the　branches　of　the　crab。　　To　change　the　nature　of　the　individual；　to　get　at　the　heart；　to　save　his　soul　is　the　only　real；　lasting　method　of　doing　him　any　good。　　In　many　modern　schemes　of　social　regeneration　it　is　forgotten　that　〃it　takes　a　soul　to　move　a　body；　e'en　to　a　cleaner　sty；〃　and　at　the　risk　of　being　misunderstood　and　misrepresented；　I　must　assert　in　the　most　unqualified　way　that　it　is　primarily　and　mainly　for　the　sake　of　saving　the　soul　that　I　seek　the　salvation　of　the　body。

But　what　is　the　use　of　preaching　the　Gospel　to　men　whose　whole　attention　is　concentrated　upon　a　mad；　desperate　struggle　to　keep　themselves　alive？　　You　might　as　well　give　a　tract　to　a　shipwrecked　sailor　who　is　battling　with　the　surf　which　has　drowned　his　comrades　and　threatens　to　drown　him。　　He　will　not　listen　to　you。　　Nay；　he　cannot　hear　you　any　more　than　a　man　whose　head　is　underwater　can　listen　to　a　sermon。　　The　first　thing　to　do　is　to　get　him　at　least　a　footing　on　firm　ground；　and　to　give　him　room　to　live。　　Then　you　may　have　a　chance。　At　present　you　have　none。　　And　you　will　have　all　the　better　opportunity　to　find　a　way　to　his　heart；　if　he　comes　to　know　that　it　was　you　who　pulled　him　out　of　the　horrible　pit　and　the　miry　clay　in　which　he　was　sinking　to　perdition。


CHAPTER　6。　　THE　VICIOUS。

There　are　many　vices　and　seven　deadly　sins。　　But　of　late　years　many　of　the　seven　have　contrived　to　pass　themselves　off　as　virtues。　　Avarice；　for　instance；　and　Pride；　when　re…baptised　thrift　and　self…respect；　have　become　the　guardian　angels　of　Christian　civilisation；　and　as　for　Envy；　it　is　the　corner…stone　upon　which　much　of　our　competitive　system　is　founded。　　There　are　still　two　vices　which　are　fortunate；　or　unfortunate；　enough　to　remain　undisguised；　not　even　concealing　from　themselves　the　fact　that　they　are　vices　and　not　virtues。　　One　is　drunkenness；　the　other　fornication。　　The　viciousness　of　these　vices　is　so　little　disguised；　even　from　those　who　habitually　practise　them；　that　there　will　be　a　protest　against　merely　describing　one　of　them　by　the　right　Biblical　name。　　Why　not　say　prostitution？　　For　this　reason：　prostitution　is　a　word　applied　to　only