01-the kreutzer sonata-第22节

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As　for　me；　I　was　arrested　before　her　death；　at　eight　o'clock　in

the　morning。　　They　took　me　to　the　police　station；　and　then　to

prison；　and　there；　during　eleven　months；　awaiting　the　verdict；　I

reflected　upon　myself；　and　upon　my　past；　and　I　understood　it。　

Yes；　I　began　to　understand　from　the　third　day。　　The　third　day

they　took　me　to　the　house。〃　。　。　。



Posdnicheff　seemed　to　wish　to　add　something；　but；　no　longer

having　the　strength　to　repress　his　sobs；　he　stopped。　　After　a　few

minutes；　having　recovered　his　calmness；　he　resumed：



〃I　began　to　understand　only　when　I　saw　her　in　the　coffin。〃　。　。　。



He　uttered　a　sob；　and　then　immediately　continued；　with　haste：



〃Then　only；　when　I　saw　her　dead　face；　did　I　understand　all　that　I

had　done。　　I　understood　that　it　was　I；　I；　who　had　killed　her。　　I

understood　that　I　was　the　cause　of　the　fact　that　she；　who　had

been　a　moving；　living；　palpitating　being；　had　now　become

motionless　and　cold；　and　that　there　was　no　way　of　repairing　this

thing。　He　who　has　not　lived　through　that　cannot　understand　it。〃



　



We　remained　silent　a　long　time。　　Posdnicheff　sobbed　and　trembled

before　me。　　His　face　had　become　delicate　and　long；　and　his　mouth

had　grown　larger。



〃Yes；〃　said　he　suddenly；　〃if　I　had　known　what　I　now　know；　I

should　never　have　married　her；　never；　not　for　anything。〃



Again　we　remained　silent　for　a　long　time。



〃Yes；　that　is　what　I　have　done；　that　is　my　experience；　We　must

understand　the　real　meaning　of　the　words　of　the　Gospel；Matthew；

V。　28；'that　whosoever　looketh　on　a　woman　to　lust　after　her　hath

committed　adultery'；　and　these　words　relate　to　the　wife；　to　the

sister；　and　not　only　to　the　wife　of　another；　but　especially　to

one's　own　wife。〃



THE　END。



If　the　reading　of　this　book　has　interested　you；　do　not　fail　to

get　its　sequel；　entitled　〃KREUTZER　SONATA　BEARING　FRUIT；　by

Pauline　Grayson；　which　is　an　exceedingly　interesting　narrative

showing　one　of　the　results　of　the　ideas　set　forth　in　〃Kreutzer

Sonata。〃　　It　is　bound　in　paper　covers　and　will　be　sent　by　mail；

postage　paid；　upon　receipt　of　25　cents。　　Address　all　orders　to　J。

S。　OGILVIE　PUBLISHING　COMPANY；　57　Rose　Street；　New　York。



LESSON　OF　〃THE　KREUTZER　SONATA。〃







I　have　received；　and　still　continue　to　receive；　numbers　of

letters　from　persons　who　are　perfect　strangers　to　me；　asking　me

to　state　in　plain　and　simple　language　my　own　views　on　the　subject

handled　in　the　story　entitled　〃The　Kreutzer　Sonata。〃　　With　this

request　I　shall　now　endeavor　to　comply。



My　views　on　the　question　may　be　succinctly　stated　as　follows：

Without　entering　into　details；　it　will　be　generally　admitted　that

I　am　accurate　in　saying　that　many　people　condone　in　young　men　a

course　of　conduct　with　regard　to　the　other　sex　which　is

incompatible　with　strict　morality；　and　that　this　dissoluteness　is

pardoned　generally。　　Both　parents　and　the　government；　in

consequence　of　this　view；　may　be　said　to　wink　at　profligacy；　and

even　in　the　last　resource　to　encourage　its　practice。　　I　am　of

opinion　that　this　is　not　right。



It　is　not　possible　that　the　health　of　one　class　should

necessitate　the　ruin　of　another；　and；　in　consequence；　it　is　our

first　duty　to　turn　a　deaf　ear　to　such　an　essential　immoral

doctrine；　no　matter　how　strongly　society　may　have　established　or

law　protected　it。　　Moreover；　it　needs　to　be　fully　recognized　that

men　are　rightly　to　be　held　responsible　for　the　consequences　of

their　own　acts；　and　that　these　are　no　longer　to　be　visited　on　the

woman　alone。　　It　follows　from　this　that　it　is　the　duty　of　men　who

do　not　wish　to　lead　a　life　of　infamy　to　practice　such　continence

in　respect　to　all　woman　as　they　would　were　the　female　society　in

which　they　move　made　up　exclusively　of　their　own　mothers　and

sisters。



A　more　rational　mode　of　life　should　be　adopted　which　would

include　abstinence　from　all　alcoholic　drinks；　from　excess　in

eating　and　from　flesh　meat；　on　the　one　hand；　and　recourse　to

physical　labor　on　the　other。　　I　am　not　speaking　of　gymnastics；　or

of　any　of　those　occupations　which　may　be　fitly　described　as

playing　at　work；　　I　mean　the　genuine　toil　that　fatigues。　　No　one

need　go　far　in　search　of　proofs　that　this　kind　of　abstemious

living　is　not　merely　possible；　but　far　less　hurtful　to　health

than　excess。　　Hundreds　of　instances　are　known　to　every　one。　　This

is　my　first　contention。



In　the　second　place；　I　think　that　of　late　years；　through　various

reasons　which　I　need　not　enter；　but　among　which　the

above…mentioned　laxity　of　opinion　in　society　and　the　frequent

idealization　of　the　subject　in　current　literature　and　painting

may　be　mentioned；　conjugal　infidelity　has　become　more　common　and

is　considered　less　reprehensible。　　I　am　of　opinion　that　this　is

not　right。　　The　origin　of　the　evil　is　twofold。　　It　is　due；　in　the

first　place；　to　a　natural　instinct；　and；　in　the　second；　to　the

elevation　of　this　instinct　to　a　place　to　which　it　does　not

rightly　belong。　　This　being　so；　the　evil　can　only　be　remedied　by

effecting　a　change　in　the　views　now　in　vogue　about　〃falling　in

love〃　and　all　that　this　term　implies；　by　educating　men　and　women

at　home　through　family　influence　and　example；　and　abroad　by　means

of　healthy　public　opinion；　to　practice　that　abstinence　which

morality　and　Christianity　alike　enjoin。　　This　is　my　second

contention。



In　the　third　place　I　am　of　opinion　that　another　consequence　of

the　false　light　in　which　〃falling　in　love；〃　and　what　it　leads　to；

are　viewed　in　our　society；　is　that　the　birth　of　children　has　lost

its　pristine　significance；　and　that　modern　marriages　are

conceived　less　and　less　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　family。　　I

am　of　opinion　that　this　is　not　right。　　This　is　my　third

contention。



In　the　fourth　place；　I　am　of　opinion　that　the　children　（who　in

our　society　are　considered　an　obstacle　to　enjoymentan　unlucky

accident；　as　it　were）　are　educated　not　with　a　view　to　the　problem

which　they　will　be　one　day　called　on　to　face　and　to　solve；　but

solely　with　an　eye　to　the　pleasure　which　they　may　be　made　to

yield　to　their　parents。　　The　consequence　is；　that　the　children　of

human　beings　are　brought　up　for　all　the　world　like　the　young　of

animals；　the　chief　care　of　their　parents　being　not　to　train　them

to　such　work　as　is　worthy　of　men　and　women；　but　to　increase　their

weight；　or　add　a　cubit　to　their　stature；　to　make　them　spruce；

sleek；　well…fed；　and　comely。　　They　rig　them　out　in　all　manner　of

fantastic　costumes；　wash　them；　over…feed　them；　and　refuse　to　make

them　work。　　If　the　children　of　the　lower　orders　differ　in　this

last　respect　from　those　of　the　well…to…do　classes；　the　difference

is　merely　formal；　they　work　from　sheer　necessity；　and　not　because

their　parents　recognize　work　as　a　duty。　　And　in　over…fed

children；　as　in　over…fed　animals；　sensuality　is　engendered

unnaturally　early。



Fashionable　dress　to…day；　the　course　of　reading；　plays；　music；

dances；　luscious　food；　all　the　elements　of　our　modern　life；　in　a

word；　from　the　pictures　on　the　little　boxes　of　sweetmeats　up　to

the　novel；　the　tale；　and　the　poem；　contribute　to　fan　this

sensuality　into　a　strong；　consuming　flame；　with　the　result　that

sexual　vices　and　diseases　have　come　to　be　the　normal　conditions

of　the　period　of　tender　youth；　and　often　continue　into　the　riper

age　of　full…blown　manhood。　　And　I　am　of　opinion　that　this　is　not

right。



It　is　high　time　it　ceased。　　The　children　of　human　beings　should

not　be　brought　up　as　if　they　were　animals；　and　we　should　set　up

as　the　object　and　strive　to　maintain　as　the　result　of　our　labors

something　better　and　nobler　than　a　well…dressed　body。　　This　is　my

fourth　contention。



In　the　fifth　place；　I　am　of　opinion　that；　owing　to　the

exaggerated　and　erroneous　significance　attributed　by　our　society

to　love　and　to　the　idealized　states　that　accompany　and　succeed

it；　the　best　energies　of　our　men　and　women　are　drawn　forth　and

exhausted　during　the　most　promising　period　of　life；　those　of　the

men　in　the　work　of　looking　for；　choosing；　and　winning　the　most

desirable　objects　of　love；　for　which　purpose　lying　and　fraud　are

held　to　be　quite　excusable；　those　of　the　women　and　girls　in

alluring　men　and　decoying　them　into　liaisons　or　marriage　by　the

most　questionable　means　conceivable；　as　an　instance　of　which　the

present　fashions　in　evening　dress　may　be　cited。　　I　am　of　opinion

that　this　is　not　right。



The　truth　is；　that　the　whole　affair　has　been　exalted　by　poets　and

romancers　to　an　undue　importance；　and　that　love　in　its　various

developments　is　not　a　fitting　object　to　consume　the　best　energies

of　men。　　People　set　it　before　them　and　strive　after　it；　because

their　view　of　life　is　as　vulgar　and　brutish　as　is　that　other

conception　frequently　met　with　in　the　lower　stages　of

development；　which　sees　in　luscious　and　abundant　food　an　end

worthy　of　man's　best　efforts。　　Now；　this　is　not　right　and　should

not　be　done。　　And；　in　order　to　avoid　doing　it；　it　is　o