in darkest england and the way out-第4节

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lave　and　massacre　its　miserable　inhabitants；　so　with　us；　much　of　the　misery　of　those　whose　lot　we　are　considering　arises　from　their　own　habits。　Drunkenness　and　all　manner　of　uncleanness；　moral　and　physical；　abound。　Have　you　ever　watched　by　the　bedside　of　a　man　in　delirium　tremens？　Multiply　the　sufferings　of　that　one　drunkard　by　the　hundred　thousand；　and　you　have　some　idea　of　what　scenes　are　being　witnessed　in　all　our　great　cities　at　this　moment。　　As　in　Africa　streams　intersect　the　forest　in　every　direction；　so　the　gin…shop　stands　at　every　corner　with　its　River　of　the　Water　of　Death　flowing　seventeen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four　for　the　destruction　of　the　people。　　A　population　sodden　with　drink；　steeped　in　vice；　eaten　up　by　every　social　and　physical　malady；　these　are　the　denizens　of　Darkest　England　amidst　whom　my　life　has　been　spent；　and　to　whose　rescue　I　would　now　summon　all　that　is　best　in　the　manhood　and　womanhood　of　our　land。

But　this　book　is　no　mere　lamentation　of　despair。　　For　Darkest　England；　as　for　Darkest　Africa；　there　is　a　light　beyond。　　I　think　I　see　my　way　out；　a　way　by　which　these　wretched　ones　may　escape　from　the　gloom　of　their　miserable　existence　into　a　higher　and　happier　life。　Long　wandering　in　the　Forest　of　the　Shadow　of　Death　at　out　doors；　has　familiarised　me　with　its　horrors；　but　while　the　realisation　is　a　vigorous　spur　to　action　it　has　never　been　so　oppressive　as　to　extinguish　hope。　　Mr。　Stanley　never　succumbed　to　the　terrors　which　oppressed　his　followers。　　He　had　lived　in　a　larger　life；　and　knew　that　the　forest；　though　long；　was　not　interminable。　　Every　step　forward　brought　him　nearer　his　destined　goal；　nearer　to　the　light　of　the　sun；　the　clear　sky；　and　the　rolling　uplands　of　the　grazing　land。　Therefore　he　did　not　despair。　　The　Equatorial　Forest　was；　after　all；　a　mere　corner　of　one　quarter　of　the　world。　　In　the　knowledge　of　the　light　outside；　in　the　confidence　begotten　by　past　experience　of　successful　endeavour；　he　pressed　forward；　and　when　the　160　days'　struggle　was　over；　he　and　his　men　came　out　into　a　pleasant　place　where　the　land　smiled　with　peace　and　plenty；　and　their　hardships　and　hunger　were　forgotten　in　the　joy　of　a　great　deliverance。

So　I　venture　to　believe　it　will　be　with　us。　　But　the　end　is　not　yet。　We　are　still　in　the　depths　of　the　depressing　gloom。　　It　is　in　no　spirit　of　light…heartedness　that　this　book　is　sent　forth　into　the　world　as　if　it　was　written　some　ten　years　ago。

If　this　were　the　first　time　that　this　wail　of　hopeless　misery　had　sounded　on　our　ears　the　matter　would　have　been　less　serious。　　It　is　because　we　have　heard　it　so　often　that　the　case　is　so　desperate。　The　exceeding　bitter　cry　of　the　disinherited　has　become　to　be　as　familiar　in　the　ears　of　men　as　the　dull　roar　of　the　streets　or　as　the　moaning　of　the　wind　through　the　trees。　　And　so　it　rises　unceasing；　year　in　and　year　out；　and　we　are　too　busy　or　too　idle；　too　indifferent　or　too　selfish；　to　spare　it　a　thought。　　Only　now　and　then；　on　rare　occasions；　when　some　clear　voice　is　heard　giving　more　articulate　utterance　to　the　miseries　of　the　miserable　men；　do　we　pause　in　the　regular　routine　of　our　daily　duties；　and　shudder　as　we　realise　for　one　brief　moment　what　life　means　to　the　inmates　of　the　Slums。　　But　one　of　the　grimmest　social　problems　of　our　time　should　be　sternly　faced；　not　with　a　view　to　the　generation　of　profitless　emotion；　but　with　a　view　to　its　solution。

Is　it　not　time？　　There　is；　it　is　true；　an　audacity　in　the　mere　suggestion　that　the　problem　is　not　insoluble　that　is　enough　to　take　away　the　breath。　　But　can　nothing　be　done？　　If；　after　full　and　exhaustive　consideration；　we　come　to　the　deliberate　conclusion　that　nothing　can　be　done；　and　that　it　is　the　inevitable　and　inexorable　destiny　of　thousands　of　Englishmen　to　be　brutalised　into　worse　than　beasts　by　the　condition　of　their　environment；　so　be　it。　　But　if；　on　the　contrary；　we　are　unable　to　believe　that　this　〃awful　slough；〃　which　engulfs　the　manhood　and　womanhood　of　generation　after　generation　is　incapable　of　removal；　and　if　the　heart　and　intellect　of　mankind　alike　revolt　against　the　fatalism　of　despair；　then；　indeed；　it　is　time；　and　high　time；　that　the　question　were　faced　in　no　mere　dilettante　spirit；　but　with　a　resolute　determination　to　make　an　end　of　the　crying　scandal　of　our　age。

What　a　satire　it　is　upon　our　Christianity　and　our　civilisation　that　the　existence　of　these　colonies　of　heathens　and　savages　in　the　heart　of　our　capital　should　attract　so　little　attention！　　It　is　no　better　than　a　ghastly　mockerytheologians　might　use　a　stronger　wordto　call　by　the　name　of　One　who　came　to　seek　and　to　save　that　which　was　lost　those　Churches　which　in　the　midst　of　lost　multitudes　either　sleep　in　apathy　or　display　a　fitful　interest　in　a　chasuble。　　Why　all　this　apparatus　of　temples　and　meeting…houses　to　save　men　from　perdition　in　a　world　which　is　to　come；　while　never　a　helping　hand　is　stretched　out　to　save　them　from　the　inferno　of　their　present　life？　　Is　it　not　time　that；　forgetting　for　a　moment　their　wranglings　about　the　infinitely　little　or　infinitely　obscure；　they　should　concentrate　all　their　energies　on　a　united　effort　to　break　this　terrible　perpetuity　of　perdition；　and　to　rescue　some　at　least　of　those　for　whom　they　profess　to　believe　their　Founder　came　to　die？

Before　venturing　to　define　the　remedy；　I　begin　by　describing　the　malady。　　But　even　when　presenting　the　dreary　picture　of　our　social　ills；　and　describing　the　difficulties　which　confront　us；　I　speak　not　in　despondency　but　in　hope。　　〃I　know　in　whom　I　have　believed。〃　　I　know；　therefore　do　I　speak。　　Darker　England　is　but　a　fractional　part　of　〃Greater　England。〃　　There　is　wealth　enough　abundantly　to　minister　to　its　social　regeneration　so　far　as　wealth　can；　if　there　be　but　heart　enough　to　set　about　the　work　in　earnest。　　And　I　hope　and　believe　that　the　heart　will　not　be　lacking　when　once　the　problem　is　manfully　faced；　and　the　method　of　its　solution　plainly　pointed　out。

CHAPTER　II。　　THE　SUBMERGED　TENTH。

In　setting　forth　the　difficulties　which　have　to　be　grappled　with；　I　shall　endeavour　in　all　things　to　understate　rather　than　overstate　my　case。　　I　do　this　for　two　reasons：　　first；　any　exaggeration　would　create　a　reaction；　and　secondly；　as　my　object　is　to　demonstrate　the　practicability　of　solving　the　problem；　I　do　not　wish　to　magnify　its　dimensions。　　In　this　and　in　subsequent　chapters　I　hope　to　convince　those　who　read　them　that　there　is　no　overstraining　in　the　representation　of　the　facts；　and　nothing　Utopian　in　the　presentation　of　remedies。　　I　appeal　neither　to　hysterical　emotionalists　nor　headlong　enthusiasts；　but　having　tried　to　approach　the　examination　of　this　question　in　a　spirit　of　scientific　investigation；　I　put　forth　my　proposals　with　the　view　of　securing　the　support　and　co…operation　of　the　sober；　serious；　practical　men　and　women　who　constitute　the　saving　strength　and　moral　backbone　of　the　country。　　I　fully　admit　that　them　is　much　that　is　lacking　in　the　diagnosis　of　the　disease；　and；　no　doubt；　in　this　first　draft　of　the　prescription　there　is　much　room　for　improvement；　which　will　come　when　we　have　the　light　of　fuller　experience。　　But　with　all　its　drawbacks　and　defects；　I　do　not　hesitate　to　submit　my　proposals　to　the　impartial　judgment　of　all　who　are　interested　in　the　solution　of　the　social　question　as　an　immediate　and　practical　mode　of　dealing　with　this；　the　greatest　problem　of　our　time。

The　first　duty　of　an　investigator　in　approaching　the　study　of　any　question　is　to　eliminate　all　that　is　foreign　to　the　inquiry；　and　to　concentrate　his　attention　upon　the　subject　to　be　dealt　with。　　Here　I　may　remark　that　I　make　no　attempt　in　this　book　to　deal　with　Society　as　a　whole。　　I　leave　to　others　the　formulation　of　ambitious　programmes　for　the　reconstruction　of　our　entire　social　system；　not　because　I　may　not　desire　its　reconstruction；　but　because　the　elaboration　of　any　plans　which　are　more　or　less　visionary　and　incapable　of　realisation　for　many　years　would　stand　in　the　way　of　the　consideration　of　this　Scheme　for　dealing　with　the　most　urgently　pressing　aspect　of　the　question；　which　I　hope　may　be　put　into　operation　at　once。

In　taking　this　course　I　am　aware　that　I　cut　myself　off　from　a　wide　and　attractive　field；　but　as　a　practical　man；　dealing　with　sternly　prosaic　facts；　I　must　confine　my　attention　to　that　particular　section　of　the　problem　which　clamours　most　pressingly　for　a　solution。　　Only　one　thing　I　may　say　in　passing。　　Then　is　nothing　in　my　scheme　which　will　bring　it　into　collision　either　with　Socialists　of　the　State；　or　Socialists　of　the　Municipality；　with　Individualists　or　Nationalists；　or　any　of　the　various　schools　of　though　in　the　great　field　of　social　economics　excepting　only　those　anti…christian　economists　who　hold　that　it　is　an　offence　against　the　doctrine　of　the　survival　of　the　fittest　to　try　to　save　the　weakest　from　going　to　the　wall；　and　who　believe　that　when　once　a　man　is　down　the　supreme　duty　of　a　self…regarding　Society　is　to　jump　upon　him。　　Such　economists　will　naturally　be　disappointed　with　this　book　I　venture　to　believe　that　all　others　will　find　nothing　in　it　to　offend　their　favourite　theories；　but　perhaps　something　of　helpful　suggestion　which　they　may　utilise　hereafter。　　What；　then；　is　Darkest　England？　　For　whom　do