the way of all flesh-第7章

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is　no　more　than　people　do　who　have　a　headache　after　having　been
tipsy　overnight。　　The　man　with　a　headache　does　not　pretend　to　be　a
different　person　from　the　man　who　got　drunk；　and　claim　that　it　is
his　self　of　the　preceding　night　and　not　his　self　of　this　morning　who
should　be　punished；　no　more　should　offspring　complain　of　the
headache　which　it　has　earned　when　in　the　person　of　its　parents；　for
the　continuation　of　identity；　though　not　so　immediately　apparent；　is
just　as　real　in　one　case　as　in　the　other。　　What　is　really　hard　is
when　the　parents　have　the　fun　after　the　children　have　been　born；　and
the　children　are　punished　for　this。

On　these；　his　black　days；　he　would　take　very　gloomy　views　of　things
and　say　to　himself　that　in　spite　of　all　his　goodness　to　them　his
children　did　not　love　him。　　But　who　can　love　any　man　whose　liver　is
out　of　order？　　How　base；　he　would　exclaim　to　himself；　was　such
ingratitude！　　How　especially　hard　upon　himself；　who　had　been　such　a
model　son；　and　always　honoured　and　obeyed　his　parents　though　they
had　not　spent　one　hundredth　part　of　the　money　upon　him　which　he　had
lavished　upon　his　own　children。　　〃It　is　always　the　same　story；〃　he
would　say　to　himself；　〃the　more　young　people　have　the　more　they
want；　and　the　less　thanks　one　gets；　I　have　made　a　great　mistake；　I
have　been　far　too　lenient　with　my　children；　never　mind；　I　have　done
my　duty　by　them；　and　more；　if　they　fail　in　theirs　to　me　it　is　a
matter　between　God　and　them。　　I；　at　any　rate；　am　guiltless。　　Why；　I
might　have　married　again　and　become　the　father　of　a　second　and
perhaps　more　affectionate　family；　etc。；　etc。〃　　He　pitied　himself　for
the　expensive　education　which　he　was　giving　his　children；　he　did　not
see　that　the　education　cost　the　children　far　more　than　it　cost　him；
inasmuch　as　it　cost　them　the　power　of　earning　their　living　easily
rather　than　helped　them　towards　it；　and　ensured　their　being　at　the
mercy　of　their　father　for　years　after　they　had　come　to　an　age　when
they　should　be　independent。　　A　public　school　education　cuts　off　a
boy's　retreat；　he　can　no　longer　become　a　labourer　or　a　mechanic；　and
these　are　the　only　people　whose　tenure　of　independence　is　not
precariouswith　the　exception　of　course　of　those　who　are　born
inheritors　of　money　or　who　are　placed　young　in　some　safe　and　deep
groove。　　Mr　Pontifex　saw　nothing　of　this；　all　he　saw　was　that　he　was
spending　much　more　money　upon　his　children　than　the　law　would　have
compelled　him　to　do；　and　what　more　could　you　have？　　Might　he　not
have　apprenticed　both　his　sons　to　greengrocers？　　Might　he　not　even
yet　do　so　to…morrow　morning　if　he　were　so　minded？　　The　possibility
of　this　course　being　adopted　was　a　favourite　topic　with　him　when　he
was　out　of　temper；　true；　he　never　did　apprentice　either　of　his　sons
to　greengrocers；　but　his　boys　comparing　notes　together　had　sometimes
come　to　the　conclusion　that　they　wished　he　would。

At　other　times　when　not　quite　well　he　would　have　them　in　for　the　fun
of　shaking　his　will　at　them。　　He　would　in　his　imagination　cut　them
all　out　one　after　another　and　leave　his　money　to　found　almshouses；
till　at　last　he　was　obliged　to　put　them　back；　so　that　he　might　have
the　pleasure　of　cutting　them　out　again　the　next　time　he　was　in　a
passion。

Of　course　if　young　people　allow　their　conduct　to　be　in　any　way
influenced　by　regard　to　the　wills　of　living　persons　they　are　doing
very　wrong　and　must　expect　to　be　sufferers　in　the　end；　nevertheless
the　powers　of　will…dangling　and　will…shaking　are　so　liable　to　abuse
and　are　continually　made　so　great　an　engine　of　torture　that　I　would
pass　a　law；　if　I　could；　to　incapacitate　any　man　from　making　a　will
for　three　months　from　the　date　of　each　offence　in　either　of　the
above　respects　and　let　the　bench　of　magistrates　or　judge；　before
whom　he　has　been　convicted；　dispose　of　his　property　as　they　shall
think　right　and　reasonable　if　he　dies　during　the　time　that　his　will…
making　power　is　suspended。

Mr　Pontifex　would　have　the　boys　into　the　dining…room。　　〃My　dear
John；　my　dear　Theobald；〃　he　would　say；　〃look　at　me。　　I　began　life
with　nothing　but　the　clothes　with　which　my　father　and　mother　sent　me
up　to　London。　　My　father　gave　me　ten　shillings　and　my　mother　five
for　pocket　money　and　I　thought　them　munificent。　　I　never　asked　my
father　for　a　shilling　in　the　whole　course　of　my　life；　nor　took　aught
from　him　beyond　the　small　sum　he　used　to　allow　me　monthly　till　I　was
in　receipt　of　a　salary。　　I　made　my　own　way　and　I　shall　expect　my
sons　to　do　the　same。　　Pray　don't　take　it　into　your　heads　that　I　am
going　to　wear　my　life　out　making　money　that　my　sons　may　spend　it　for
me。　　If　you　want　money　you　must　make　it　for　yourselves　as　I　did；　for
I　give　you　my　word　I　will　not　leave　a　penny　to　either　of　you　unless
you　show　that　you　deserve　it。　　Young　people　seem　nowadays　to　expect
all　kinds　of　luxuries　and　indulgences　which　were　never　heard　of　when
I　was　a　boy。　　Why；　my　father　was　a　common　carpenter；　and　here　you
are　both　of　you　at　public　schools；　costing　me　ever　so　many　hundreds
a　year；　while　I　at　your　age　was　plodding　away　behind　a　desk　in　my
Uncle　Fairlie's　counting　house。　　What　should　I　not　have　done　if　I
had　had　one　half　of　your　advantages？　　You　should　become　dukes　or
found　new　empires　in　undiscovered　countries；　and　even　then　I　doubt
whether　you　would　have　done　proportionately　so　much　as　I　have　done。
No；　no；　I　shall　see　you　through　school　and　college　and　then；　if　you
please；　you　will　make　your　own　way　in　the　world。〃

In　this　manner　he　would　work　himself　up　into　such　a　state　of
virtuous　indignation　that　he　would　sometimes　thrash　the　boys　then
and　there　upon　some　pretext　invented　at　the　moment。

And　yet；　as　children　went；　the　young　Pontifexes　were　fortunate；
there　would　be　ten　families　of　young　people　worse　off　for　one
better；　they　ate　and　drank　good　wholesome　food；　slept　in　comfortable
beds；　had　the　best　doctors　to　attend　them　when　they　were　ill　and　the
best　education　that　could　be　had　for　money。　　The　want　of　fresh　air
does　not　seem　much　to　affect　the　happiness　of　children　in　a　London
alley：　　the　greater　part　of　them　sing　and　play　as　though　they　were
on　a　moor　in　Scotland。　　So　the　absence　of　a　genial　mental　atmosphere
is　not　commonly　recognised　by　children　who　have　never　known　it。
Young　people　have　a　marvellous　faculty　of　either　dying　or　adapting
themselves　to　circumstances。　　Even　if　they　are　unhappyvery
unhappyit　is　astonishing　how　easily　they　can　be　prevented　from
finding　it　out；　or　at　any　rate　from　attributing　it　to　any　other
cause　than　their　own　sinfulness。

To　parents　who　wish　to　lead　a　quiet　life　I　would　say：　　Tell　your
children　that　they　are　very　naughtymuch　naughtier　than　most
children。　　Point　to　the　young　people　of　some　acquaintances　as　models
of　perfection　and　impress　your　own　children　with　a　deep　sense　of
their　own　inferiority。　　You　carry　so　many　more　guns　than　they　do
that　they　cannot　fight　you。　　This　is　called　moral　influence；　and　it
will　enable　you　to　bounce　them　as　much　as　you　please。　　They　think
you　know　and　they　will　not　have　yet　caught　you　lying　often　enough　to
suspect　that　you　are　not　the　unworldly　and　scrupulously　truthful
person　which　you　represent　yourself　to　be；　nor　yet　will　they　know
how　great　a　coward　you　are；　nor　how　soon　you　will　run　away；　if　they
fight　you　with　persistency　and　judgement。　　You　keep　the　dice　and
throw　them　both　for　your　children　and　yourself。　　Load　them　then；　for
you　can　easily　manage　to　stop　your　children　from　examining　them。
Tell　them　how　singularly　indulgent　you　are；　insist　on　the
incalculable　benefit　you　conferred　upon　them；　firstly　in　bringing
them　into　the　world　at　all；　but　more　particularly　in　bringing　them
into　it　as　your　own　children　rather　than　anyone　else's。　　Say　that
you　have　their　highest　interests　at　stake　whenever　you　are　out　of
temper　and　wish　to　make　yourself　unpleasant　by　way　of　balm　to　your
soul。　　Harp　much　upon　these　highest　interests。　　Feed　them
spiritually　upon　such　brimstone　and　treacle　as　the　late　Bishop　of
Winchester's　Sunday　stories。　　You　hold　all　the　trump　cards；　or　if
you　do　not　you　can　filch　them；　if　you　play　them　with　anything　like
judgement　you　will　find　yourselves　heads　of　happy；　united；　God…
fearin