youth-第23章

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Of　love　there　are　three　kindslove　of　beauty；　the　love　which

denies　itself；　and　practical　love。



Of　the　desire　of　a　young　man　for　a　young　woman；　as　well　as　of　the

reverse　instance；　I　am　not　now　speaking；　for　of　such　tendresses　I

am　wary；　seeing　that　I　have　been　too　unhappy　in　my　life　to　have

been　able　ever　to　see　in　such　affection　a　single　spark　of　truth；

but　rather　a　lying　pretence　in　which　sensuality；　connubial

relations；　money；　and　the　wish　to　bind　hands　or　to　unloose　them

have　rendered　feeling　such　a　complex　affair　as　to　defy　analysis。

Rather　am　I　speaking　of　that　love　for　a　human　being　which；

according　to　the　spiritual　strength　of　its　possessor；

concentrates　itself　either　upon　a　single　individual；　upon　a　few；

or　upon　manyof　love　for　a　mother；　a　father；　a　brother；　little

children；　a　friend；　a　compatriotof　love；　in　short；　for　one's

neighbour。



Love　of　beauty　consists　in　a　love　of　the　sense　of　beauty　and　of

its　expression。　People　who　thus　love　conceive　the　object　of　their

affection　to　be　desirable　only　in　so　far　as　it　arouses　in　them

that　pleasurable　sensation　of　which　the　consciousness　and　the

expression　soothes　the　senses。　They　change　the　object　of　their

love　frequently；　since　their　principal　aim　consists　in　ensuring

that　the　voluptuous　feeling　of　their　adoration　shall　be

constantly　titillated。　To　preserve　in　themselves　this　sensuous

condition；　they　talk　unceasingly；　and　in　the　most　elegant　terms；

on　the　subject　of　the　love　which　they　feel；　not　only　for　its

immediate　object；　but　also　for　objects　upon　which　it　does　not

touch　at　all。　This　country　of　ours　contains　many　such

individualsindividuals　of　that　well…known　class　who；

cultivating　〃the　beautiful；〃　not　only　discourse　of　their　cult　to

all　and　sundry；　but　speak　of　it　pre…eminently　in　FRENCH。　It　may

seem　a　strange　and　ridiculous　thing　to　say；　but　I　am　convinced

that　among　us　we　have　had　in　the　past；　and　still　have；　a　large

section　of　societynotably　womenwhose　love　for　their　friends；

husbands；　or　children　would　expire　to…morrow　if　they　were

debarred　from　dilating　upon　it　in　the　tongue　of　France！



Love　of　the　second　kindrenunciatory　loveconsists　in　a

yearning　to　undergo　self…sacrifice　for　the　object　beloved；

regardless　of　any　consideration　whether　such　self…sacrifice　will

benefit　or　injure　the　object　in　question。　〃There　is　no　evil　which

I　would　not　endure　to　show　both　the　world　and　him　or　her　whom　I

adore　my　devotion。〃　There　we　have　the　formula　of　this　kind　of

love。　People　who　thus　love　never　look　for　reciprocity　of

affection；　since　it　is　a　finer　thing　to　sacrifice　yourself　for

one　who　does　not　comprehend　you。　Also；　they　are　always　painfully

eager　to　exaggerate　the　merits　of　their　sacrifice；　usually

constant　in　their　love；　for　the　reason　that　they　would　find　it

hard　to　forego　the　kudos　of　the　deprivations　which　they　endure

for　the　object　beloved；　always　ready　to　die；　to　prove　to　him　or

to　her　the　entirety　of　their　devotion；　but　sparing　of　such　small

daily　proofs　of　their　love　as　call　for　no　special　effort　of　self…

immolation。　They　do　not　much　care　whether　you　eat　well；　sleep

well；　keep　your　spirits　up；　or　enjoy　good　health；　nor　do　they

ever　do　anything　to　obtain　for　you　those　blessings　if　they　have

it　in　their　power；　but；　should　you　be　confronting　a　bullet；　or

have　fallen　into　the　water；　or　stand　in　danger　of　being　burnt；　or

have　had　your　heart　broken　in　a　love　affairwell；　for　all　these

things　they　are　prepared　if　the　occasion　should　arise。　Moreover；

people　addicted　to　love　of　such　a　self…sacrificing　order　are

invariably　proud　of　their　love；　exacting；　jealous；　distrustful；

andstrange　to　tellanxious　that　the　object　of　their　adoration

should　incur　perils　（so　that　they　may　save　it　from　calamity；　and

console　it　thereafter）　and　even　be　vicious　（so　that　they　may

purge　it　of　its　vice）。



Suppose；　now；　that　you　are　living　in　the　country　with　a　wife　who

loves　you　in　this　self…sacrificing　manner。　You　may　be　healthy　and

contented；　and　have　occupations　which　interest　you；　while；　on　the

other　hand；　your　wife　may　be　too　weak　to　superintend　the

household　work　（which；　in　consequence；　will　be　left　to　the

servants）；　or　to　look　after　the　children　（who；　in　consequence；

will　be　left　to　the　nurses）；　or　to　put　her　heart　into　any　work

whatsoever：　and　all　because　she　loves　nobody　and　nothing　but

yourself。　She　may　be　patently　ill；　yet　she　will　say　not　a　word　to

you　about　it；　for　fear　of　distressing　you。　She　may　be　patently

ennuyee；　yet　for　your　sake　she　will　be　prepared　to　be　so　for　the

rest　of　her　life。　She　may　be　patently　depressed　because　you　stick

so　persistently　to　your　occupations　（whether　sport；　books；

farming；　state　service；　or　anything　else）　and　see　clearly　that

they　are　doing　you　harm；　yet；　for　all　that；　she　will　keep

silence；　and　suffer　it　to　be　so。　Yet；　should　you　but　fall　sick

and；　despite　her　own　ailments　and　your　prayers　that　she　will　not

distress　herself　in　vain；　your　loving　wife　will　remain　sitting

inseparably　by　your　bedside。　Every　moment　you　will　feel　her

sympathetic　gaze　resting　upon　you　and；　as　it　were；　saying：

〃There！　I　told　you　so；　but　it　is　all　one　to　me；　and　I　shall　not

leave　you。〃　In　the　morning　you　maybe　a　little　better；　and　move

into　another　room。　The　room；　however；　will　be　insufficiently

warmed　or　set　in　order；　the　soup　which　alone　you　feel　you　could

eat　will　not　have　been　cooked；　nor　will　any　medicine　have　been

sent　for。　Yet；　though　worn　out　with　night　watching；　your　loving

wife　will　continue　to　regard　you　with　an　expression　of　sympathy；

to　walk　about　on　tiptoe；　and　to　whisper　unaccustomed　and　obscure

orders　to　the　servants。　You　may　wish　to　be　read　toand　your

loving　wife　will　tell　you　with　a　sigh　that　she　feels　sure　you

will　be　unable　to　hear　her　reading；　and　only　grow　angry　at　her

awkwardness　in　doing　it；　wherefore　you　had　better　not　be　read　to

at　all。　You　may　wish　to　walk　about　the　roomand　she　will　tell　you

that　it　would　be　far　better　for　you　not　to　do　so。　You　may　wish　to

talk　with　some　friends　who　have　calledand　she　will　tell　you　that

talking　is　not　good　for　you。　At　nightfall　the　fever　may　come　upon

you　again；　and　you　may　wish　to　be　left　alone　whereupon　your

loving　wife；　though　wasted；　pale；　and　full　of　yawns；　will　go　on

sitting　in　a　chair　opposite　you；　as　dusk　falls；　until　her　very

slightest　movement；　her　very　slightest　sound；　rouses　you　to

feelings　of　anger　and　impatience。　You　may　have　a　servant　who　has

lived　with　you　for　twenty　years；　and　to　whom　you　are　attached；

and　who　would　tend　you　well　and　to　your　satisfaction　during　the

night；　for　the　reason　that　he　has　been　asleep　all　day　and　is；

moreover；　paid　a　salary　for　his　services；　yet　your　wife　will　not

suffer　him　to　wait　upon　you。　No；　everything　she　must　do　herself

with　her　weak；　unaccustomed　fingers　（of　which　you　follow　the

movements　with　suppressed　irritation　as　those　pale　members　do

their　best　to　uncork　a　medicine　bottle；　to　snuff　a　candle；　to

pour　out　physic；　or　to　touch　you　in　a　squeamish　sort　of　way）。　If

you　are　an　impatient；　hasty　sort　of　man；　and　beg　of　her　to　leave

the　room；　you　will　hear　by　the　vexed；　distressed　sounds　which

come　from　her　that　she　is　humbly　sobbing　and　weeping　behind　the

door；　and　whispering　foolishness　of　some　kind　to　the　servant。

Finally　if　you　do　not　die；　your　loving　wifewho　has　not　slept

during　the　whole　three　weeks　of　your　illness　（a　fact　of　which　she

will　constantly　remind　you）will　fall　ill　in　her　turn；　waste

away；　suffer　much；　and　become　even　more　incapable　of　any　useful

pursuit　than　she　was　before；　while　by　the　time　that　you　have

regained　your　normal　state　of　health　she　will　express　to　you　her

self…sacrificing　affection　only　by　shedding　around　you

a　kind　of　benignant　dullness　which　involuntarily　communicates

itself　both　to　yourself　and　to　every　one　else　in　your　vicinity。



The　third　kind　of　lovepractical　loveconsists　of　a　yearning　to

satisfy　every　need；　every　desire；　every　caprice；　nay；　every　vice；

of