01-what is man-第5部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


PERMANENT　cure。



O。M。　　PardonI　had　not　finished　the　story。　　We　are

creatures　of　OUTSIDE　INFLUENCESwe　originate　NOTHING　within。

Whenever　we　take　a　new　line　of　thought　and　drift　into　a　new　line

of　belief　and　action；　the　impulse　is　ALWAYS　suggested　from　the

OUTSIDE。　　Remorse　so　preyed　upon　the　Infidel　that　it　dissolved

his　harshness　toward　the　boy's　religion　and　made　him　come　to

regard　it　with　tolerance；　next　with　kindness；　for　the　boy's　sake

and　the　mother's。　　Finally　he　found　himself　examining　it。　　From

that　moment　his　progress　in　his　new　trend　was　steady　and　rapid。

He　became　a　believing　Christian。　　And　now　his　remorse　for　having

robbed　the　dying　boy　of　his　faith　and　his　salvation　was　bitterer

than　ever。　　It　gave　him　no　rest；　no　peace。　　He　MUST　have　rest　and

peaceit　is　the　law　of　nature。　　There　seemed　but　one　way　to　get

it；　he　must　devote　himself　to　saving　imperiled　souls。　　He　became

a　missionary。　　He　landed　in　a　pagan　country　ill　and　helpless。　　A

native　widow　took　him　into　her　humble　home　and　nursed　him　back　to

convalescence。　　Then　her　young　boy　was　taken　hopelessly　ill；　and

the　grateful　missionary　helped　her　tend　him。　　Here　was　his　first

opportunity　to　repair　a　part　of　the　wrong　done　to　the　other　boy

by　doing　a　precious　service　for　this　one　by　undermining　his

foolish　faith　in　his　false　gods。　　He　was　successful。　　But　the

dying　boy　in　his　last　moments　reproached　him　and　said：



〃I　BELIEVED；　AND　WAS　HAPPY　IN　IT；　YOU　HAVE　TAKEN　MY　BELIEF

AWAY；　AND　MY　COMFORT。　　NOW　I　HAVE　NOTHING　LEFT；　AND　I　DIE

MISERABLE；　FOR　THE　THINGS　WHICH　YOU　HAVE　TOLD　ME　DO　NOT　TAKE　THE

PLACE　OF　THAT　WHICH　I　HAVE　LOST。〃



And　the　mother；　also；　reproached　the　missionary；　and　said：



〃MY　CHILD　IS　FOREVER　LOST；　AND　MY　HEART　IS　BROKEN。　　HOW

COULD　YOU　DO　THIS　CRUEL　THING？　　WE　HAD　DONE　YOU　NO　HARM；　BUT　ONLY

KINDNESS；　WE　MADE　OUR　HOUSE　YOUR　HOME；　YOU　WERE　WELCOME　TO　ALL　WE

HAD；　AND　THIS　IS　OUR　REWARD。〃



The　heart　of　the　missionary　was　filled　with　remorse　for　what

he　had　done；　and　he　said：



〃IT　WAS　WRONGI　SEE　IT　NOW；　BUT　I　WAS　ONLY　TRYING　TO　DO　HIM

GOOD。　　IN　MY　VIEW　HE　WAS　IN　ERROR；　IT　SEEMED　MY　DUTY　TO　TEACH　HIM

THE　TRUTH。〃



Then　the　mother　said：



〃I　HAD　TAUGHT　HIM；　ALL　HIS　LITTLE　LIFE；　WHAT　I　BELIEVED　TO

BE　THE　TRUTH；　AND　IN　HIS　BELIEVING　FAITH　BOTH　OF　US　WERE　HAPPY。

NOW　HE　IS　DEADAND　LOST；　AND　I　AM　MISERABLE。　　OUR　FAITH　CAME

DOWN　TO　US　THROUGH　CENTURIES　OF　BELIEVING　ANCESTORS；　WHAT　RIGHT

HAD　YOU；　OR　ANY　ONE；　TO　DISTURB　IT？　　WHERE　WAS　YOUR　HONOR；　WHERE

WAS　YOUR　SHAME？〃



The　missionary's　anguish　of　remorse　and　sense　of　treachery

were　as　bitter　and　persecuting　and　unappeasable；　now；　as　they　had

been　in　the　former　case。　　The　story　is　finished。　　What　is　your

comment？



Y。M。　　The　man's　conscience　is　a　fool！　　It　was　morbid。　　It

didn't　know　right　from　wrong。



O。M。　　I　am　not　sorry　to　hear　you　say　that。　　If　you　grant

that　ONE　man's　conscience　doesn't　know　right　from　wrong；　it　is　an

admission　that　there　are　others　like　it。　　This　single　admission

pulls　down　the　whole　doctrine　of　infallibility　of　judgment　in

consciences。　　Meantime　there　is　one　thing　which　I　ask　you　to

notice。



Y。M。　　What　is　that？



O。M。　　That　in　both　cases　the　man's　ACT　gave　him　no　spiritual

discomfort；　and　that　he　was　quite　satisfied　with　it　and　got

pleasure　out　of　it。　　But　afterward　when　it　resulted　in　PAIN　to

HIM；　he　was　sorry。　　Sorry　it　had　inflicted　pain　upon　the　others；

BUT　FOR　NO　REASON　UNDER　THE　SUN　EXCEPT　THAT　THEIR　PAIN　GAVE　HIM

PAIN。　　Our　consciences　take　NO　notice　of　pain　inflicted　upon

others　until　it　reaches　a　point　where　it　gives　pain　to　US。　　In

ALL　cases　without　exception　we　are　absolutely　indifferent　to

another　person's　pain　until　his　sufferings　make　us　uncomfortable。

Many　an　infidel　would　not　have　been　troubled　by　that　Christian

mother's　distress。　　Don't　you　believe　that？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　You　might　almost　say　it　of　the　AVERAGE　infidel；

I　think。



O。M。　　And　many　a　missionary；　　sternly　fortified　by　his　sense

of　duty；　would　not　have　been　troubled　by　the　pagan　mother's

distressJesuit　missionaries　in　Canada　in　the　early　French

times；　for　instance；　see　episodes　quoted　by　Parkman。



Y。M。　　Well；　let　us　adjourn。　　Where　have　we　arrived？



O。M。　　At　this。　　That　we　（mankind）　have　ticketed　ourselves

with　a　number　of　qualities　to　which　we　have　given　misleading

names。　　Love；　Hate；　Charity；　Compassion；　Avarice；　Benevolence；

and　so　on。　　I　mean　we　attach　misleading　MEANINGS　to　the　names。

They　are　all　forms　of　self…contentment；　self…gratification；　but

the　names　so　disguise　them　that　they　distract　our　attention　from

the　fact。　　Also　we　have　smuggled　a　word　into　the　dictionary　which

ought　not　to　be　there　at　allSelf…Sacrifice。　　It　describes　a

thing　which　does　not　exist。　　But　worst　of　all；　we　ignore　and

never　mention　the　Sole　Impulse　which　dictates　and　compels　a　man's

every　act：　　the　imperious　necessity　of　securing　his　own　approval；

in　every　emergency　and　at　all　costs。　　To　it　we　owe　all　that　we

are。　　It　is　our　breath；　our　heart；　our　blood。　　It　is　our　only

spur；　our　whip；　our　goad；　our　only　impelling　power；　we　have　no

other。　　Without　it　we　should　be　mere　inert　images；　corpses；　no

one　would　do　anything；　there　would　be　no　progress；　the　world

would　stand　still。　　We　ought　to　stand　reverently　uncovered　when

the　name　of　that　stupendous　power　is　uttered。



Y。M。　　I　am　not　convinced。



O。M。　　You　will　be　when　you　think。







III



Instances　in　Point





Old　Man。　　Have　you　given　thought　to　the　Gospel　of　Self…

Approval　since　we　talked？



Young　Man。　　I　have。



O。M。　　It　was　I　that　moved　you　to　it。　　That　is　to　say　an

OUTSIDE　INFLUENCE　moved　you　to　itnot　one　that　originated　in

your　head。　　Will　you　try　to　keep　that　in　mind　and　not　forget　it？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　Why？



O。M。　　Because　by　and　by　in　one　of　our　talks；　I　wish　to

further　impress　upon　you　that　neither　you；　nor　I；　nor　any　man

ever　originates　a　thought　in　his　own　head。　　THE　UTTERER　OF　A

THOUGHT　ALWAYS　UTTERS　A　SECOND…HAND　ONE。



Y。M。　　Oh；　now



O。M。　　Wait。　　Reserve　your　remark　till　we　get　to　that　part　of

our　discussiontomorrow　or　next　day；　say。　　Now；　then；　have　you

been　considering　the　proposition　that　no　act　is　ever　born　of　any

but　a　self…contenting　impulse（primarily）。　　You　have　sought。

What　have　you　found？



Y。M。　　I　have　not　been　very　fortunate。　　I　have　examined　many

fine　and　apparently　self…sacrificing　deeds　in　romances　and

biographies；　but



O。M。　　Under　searching　analysis　the　ostensible　self…sacrifice

disappeared？　　It　naturally　would。



Y。M。　　But　here　in　this　novel　is　one　which　seems　to　promise。

In　the　Adirondack　woods　is　a　wage…earner　and　lay　preacher　in　the

lumber…camps　who　is　of　noble　character　and　deeply　religious。　　An

earnest　and　practical　laborer　in　the　New　York　slums　comes　up

there　on　vacationhe　is　leader　of　a　section　of　the　University

Settlement。　　Holme；　the　lumberman；　is　fired　with　a　desire　to

throw　away　his　excellent　worldly　prospects　and　go　down　and　save

souls　on　the　East　Side。　　He　counts　it　happiness　to　make　this

sacrifice　for　the　glory　of　God　and　for　the　cause　of　Christ。　　He

resigns　his　place；　makes　the　sacrifice　cheerfully；　and　goes　to

the　East　Side　and　preaches　Christ　and　Him　crucified　every　day　and

every　night　to　little　groups　of　half…civilized　foreign　paupers

who　scoff　at　him。　　But　he　rejoices　in　the　scoffings；　since　he　is

suffering　them　in　the　great　cause　of　Christ。　　You　have　so　filled

my　mind　with　suspicions　that　I　was　constantly　expecting　to　find　a

hidden　questionable　impulse　back　of　all　this；　but　I　am　thankful

to　say　I　have　failed。　　This　man　saw　his　duty；　and　for　DUTY'S　SAKE

he　sacrificed　self　and　assumed　the　burden　it　imposed。



O。M。　　Is　that　as　far　as　you　have　read？



Y。M。　　Yes。



O。M。　　Let　us　read　further；　presently。　　Meantime；　in

sacrificing　himselfNOT　for　the　glory　of　God；　PRIMARILY；　as　HE

imagined；　but　FIRST　to　content　that　exacting　and　inflexible

master　within　himDID　HE　SACRIFICE　ANYBODY　ELSE？



Y。M。　　How　do　you　mean？



O。M。　　He　relinquished　a　lucrative　post　and　got　mere　food　and

lodging　in　place　of　it。　　Had　he　dependents？



Y。M。　　Wellyes。



O。M。　　In　what　way　and　to　what　extend　did　his　self…sacrifice

affect　THEM？



Y。M。　　He　was　the　support　of　a　superannuated　father。　　He　had

a　young　sister　with　a　remarkable　voicehe　was　giving　her　a

musical　education；　so　that　her　longing　to　be　self…supporting

might　be　gratified。　　He　was　furnishing　the　money　to　put　a　young

brother　through　a　polytechnic　school　and　satisfy　his　desire　to

become　a　civil　engineer。



O。M。　　The　old　father's　comforts　were　now　curtailed？



Y。M。　　Quite　seriously。　　Yes。



O。M。　　The　sister's　music…lessens　had　to　stop？



Y。M。　　Yes。



O。M。　　The　young　brother's　educationwell；　an　extinguishing

blight　fell　upon　that　happy　dream；　and　he　had　to　go　to　sawing

wood　to　support　the　old　father；　or　something　like　that？



Y。M。　　It　is　about　what　hap