the way of all flesh-第6节

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————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


to　spare　the　rod　was　to　spoil　the　child；　and　St　Paul　had　placed
disobedience　to　parents　in　very　ugly　company。　　If　his　children　did
anything　which　Mr　Pontifex　disliked　they　were　clearly　disobedient　to
their　father。　　In　this　case　there　was　obviously　only　one　course　for
a　sensible　man　to　take。　　It　consisted　in　checking　the　first　signs　of
self…will　while　his　children　were　too　young　to　offer　serious
resistance。　　If　their　wills　were　〃well　broken〃　in　childhood；　to　use
an　expression　then　much　in　vogue；　they　would　acquire　habits　of
obedience　which　they　would　not　venture　to　break　through　till　they
were　over　twenty…one　years　old。　　Then　they　might　please　themselves；
he　should　know　how　to　protect　himself；　till　then　he　and　his　money
were　more　at　their　mercy　than　he　liked。

How　little　do　we　know　our　thoughtsour　reflex　actions　indeed；　yes；
but　our　reflex　reflections！　　Man；　forsooth；　prides　himself　on　his
consciousness！　　We　boast　that　we　differ　from　the　winds　and　waves　and
falling　stones　and　plants；　which　grow　they　know　not　why；　and　from
the　wandering　creatures　which　go　up　and　down　after　their　prey；　as　we
are　pleased　to　say　without　the　help　of　reason。　　We　know　so　well　what
we　are　doing　ourselves　and　why　we　do　it；　do　we　not？　　I　fancy　that
there　is　some　truth　in　the　view　which　is　being　put　forward　nowadays；
that　it　is　our　less　conscious　thoughts　and　our　less　conscious
actions　which　mainly　mould　our　lives　and　the　lives　of　those　who
spring　from　us。



CHAPTER　VI



Mr　Pontifex　was　not　the　man　to　trouble　himself　much　about　his
motives。　　People　were　not　so　introspective　then　as　we　are　now；　they
lived　more　according　to　a　rule　of　thumb。　　Dr　Arnold　had　not　yet　sown
that　crop　of　earnest　thinkers　which　we　are　now　harvesting；　and　men
did　not　see　why　they　should　not　have　their　own　way　if　no　evil
consequences　to　themselves　seemed　likely　to　follow　upon　their　doing
so。　　Then　as　now；　however；　they　sometimes　let　themselves　in　for　more
evil　consequences　than　they　had　bargained　for。

Like　other　rich　men　at　the　beginning　of　this　century　he　ate　and
drank　a　good　deal　more　than　was　enough　to　keep　him　in　health。　　Even
his　excellent　constitution　was　not　proof　against　a　prolonged　course
of　overfeeding　and　what　we　should　now　consider　overdrinking。　　His
liver　would　not　unfrequently　get　out　of　order；　and　he　would　come
down　to　breakfast　looking　yellow　about　the　eyes。　　Then　the　young
people　knew　that　they　had　better　look　out。　　It　is　not　as　a　general
rule　the　eating　of　sour　grapes　that　causes　the　children's　teeth　to
be　set　on　edge。　　Well…to…do　parents　seldom　eat　many　sour　grapes；　the
danger　to　the　children　lies　in　the　parents　eating　too　many　sweet
ones。

I　grant　that　at　first　sight　it　seems　very　unjust；　that　the　parents
should　have　the　fun　and　the　children　be　punished　for　it；　but　young
people　should　remember　that　for　many　years　they　were　part　and　parcel
of　their　parents　and　therefore　had　a　good　deal　of　the　fun　in　the
person　of　their　parents。　　If　they　have　forgotten　the　fun　now；　that
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　n