creatures that once were men-第2节

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x　　INTRODUCTION





The　Russian　novelist；　when　he　describes　a　dosshouse；　says；　

〃Creatures　that　once　were　Men。〃　　And　we　are　arrested；　and　

regard　the　facts　as　a　kind　of　terrible　fairy　tale。　　This　story　

is　a　test　case　of　the　Russian　manner；　for　it　is　in　itself　a　

study　of　decay；　a　study　of　failure；　and　a　study　of　old　age。

And　yet　the　author　is　forced　to　write　even　of　staleness

freshly；　and　though　he　is　treating　of　the　world　as　seen

by　eyes　darkened　or　blood…shot　with　evil　experience；　his

own　eyes　look　out　upon　the　scene　with　a　clarity　that　is　almost　

babyish。　　Through　all　runs　that　curious　Russian　sense　that　

every　man　is　only　a　man；　which；　if　the　Russians　ever　are　a　

democracy；　will　make　them　the　most　democratic　democracy　that　

the　world　has　ever　seen。　　Take　this　passage；　for　instance；　

from　the　austere　conclusion　of　〃Creatures　that　once　were　Men〃：



Petunikoff　smiled　the　smile　of　the　conqueror　and　went　back　

into　the　dosshouse；　but　suddenly　he　stopped　and　trembled。　　

At　the　door　facing　him　stood　an　old　man　with　a　stick　in　his　

hand　and　a　large　bag　on　his　back；　a　horrible　old　man　in　rags　

and　tatters；　which　covered　his　bony　figure。　　He　bent　under　

the　weight　of　his　burden；　and　lowered　his　head　on　his　breast；　

as　if　he　wished　to　attack　the　merchant。



〃What　are　you？　Who　are　you？〃　shouted　Petunikoff。



〃A　man　。　。　。〃　he　answered；　In　a　hoarse　voice。　This　hoarseness　

pleased　and　tranquillized　Petunikoff；　he　even　smiled。





〃A　man！　And　are　there　really　men　like　you？〃　Stepping　aside；　

he　let　the　old　man　pass。　He　went；　saying　slowly：



〃Men　are　of　various　kinds　。　。　。　as　God　wills　。　。　。　There　are　

worse　than　me　。　。　。　still　worse。　。　。　　

Yes。　。　。　。〃





xi　　INTRODUCTION





Here；　in　the　very　act　of　describing　a　kind　of　a　fall　from　

humanity；　Gorky　expresses　a　sense　of　the　strangeness　and　

essential　value　of　the　human　being　which　is　far　too　commonly

absent　altogether　from　such　complex　civilizations　as　our　own。　

To　no　Westerner；　I　am　afraid；　would　it　occur；　when　asked　

what　he　was；　to　say；　〃A　man。〃　　He　would　be　a　plasterer　who　

had　walked　from　Reading；　or　an　iron…puddler　who　had　been　

thrown　out　of　work　in　Lancashire；　or　a　University　man　who　

would　be　really　most　grateful　for　the　loan　of　five　shillings；　

or　the　son　of　a　lieutenant…general　living　in　Brighton；　who　

would　not　have　made　such　an　application　if　he　had　not　known

that　he　was　talking　to　another　gentleman。　　With　us　it　is　not　

a　question　of　men　being　of　various　kinds；　with　us　the　kinds　

are　almost　different　animals。　　But　in　spite　of　all　Gorky's　

superficial　scepticism　and　brutality；　it　is　to　him　the　fall　

from　humanity；　or　the　apparent　fall　from　humanity；　which　is　

not　merely　great　and　lamentable；　but　essential　and　even　

mystical。　　The　line　between　man　and　the　beasts　is　one　of　the　

transcendental　essentials　of　every　religion；　and　it　is；　like　

most　of　the　transcendental　things　of　religion；　identical　

with　the　main　sentiments　of　the　man　of　common　sense。　　We　feel　

this　gulf　when　theologies　say　that　it　cannot　be　crossed。　But　

we　feel　it　quite　as　much　（and　that　with　a　primal　shudder）　

when　philosophers　or　fanciful　writers　suggest　that　it　might

be　crossed。　　And　if　any　man　wishes　to　discover　whether　or　no　

he　has　really　learned　to　regard　the　line　between　man　and　

brute　as　merely　relative　and　evolutionary；　let　him　say　again　

to　himself　those　frightful　words；　〃Creatures　that　once　were　Men。〃





G。　K。　CHESTERTON。











CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN











PART　I





In　front　of　you　is　the　main　street；　with　two　rows　of

miserable…looking　huts　with　shuttered　windows　and　old　walls　

pressing　on　each　other　and　leaning　forward。　　The　roofs　of　

these　time…worn　habitations　are　full　of　holes；　and　have　been　

patched　here　and　there　with　laths；　from　underneath　them　

project　mildewed　beams；　which　are　shaded　by　the　dusty…leaved　

elder…trees　and　crooked　white　willowpitiable　flora　of　

those　suburbs　inhabited　by　the　poor。



The　dull　green　time…stained　panes　of　the　windows　look　upon　

each　other　with　the　cowardly　glances　of　cheats。　　Through　the　

street　and　toward　the　adjacent　mountain　runs　the　sinuous　

path；　winding　through　the　deep　ditches　filled　with　

rain…water。　　Here　and　there　are　piled　heaps　of　dust　and　other　

rubbisheither　refuse　or　else　put　there　purposely　to　keep　

the　rain…water　from　flooding　the　houses。　　On　the　top　of　the　

mountain；　among　green　gardens　with　dense　foliage；　beautiful　

stone　houses　lie　hidden；　the　belfries　of　the　churches　rise　

proudly　toward　the　sky；　and　their　gilded　crosses　shine　beneath

the　rays　of　the　sun。　　During　the　rainy　weather　the

neighboring　town　pours　its　water　into　this　main　road；　which；　

at　other　times；　is　full　of　its　dust；　and　all　these　miserable　

houses　seem；　as　it　were；　thrown　by　some　powerful　hand　into　

that　heap　of　dust；　rubbish；　and　rainwater。　　





14　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





They　cling　to　the　ground　beneath　the　high　mountain；　exposed　

to　the　sun；　surrounded　by　decaying　refuse；　and　their　sodden　

appearance　impresses　one　with　the　same　feeling　as　would　the　

half…rotten　trunk　of　an　old　tree。



At　the　end　of　the　main　street；　as　if　thrown　out　of　the　town；　

stood　a　two…storied　house；　which　had　been　rented　from　

Petunikoff；　a　merchant　and　resident　of　the　town。　　It　was　in　

comparatively　good　order；　being　farther　from　the　mountain；　

while　near　it　were　the　open　fields；　and　about　half…a…mile　

away　the　river　ran　its　winding　course。



This　large　old　house　had　the　most　dismal　aspect　amid　its　

surroundings。　　The　walls　bent　outward；　and　there　was　hardly　

a　pane　of　glass　in　any　of　the　windows；　except　some　of　the　

fragments；　which　looked　like　the　water　of　the　marshesdull　

green。　　The　spaces　of　wall　between　the　windows　were　covered　

with　spots；　as　if　time　were　trying　to　write　there　in　

hieroglyphics　the　history　of　the　old　house；　and　the　tottering　

roof　added　still　more　to　its　pitiable　condition。　　It　seemed　as　

if　the　whole　building　bent　toward　the　ground；　to　await　the　

last　stroke　of　that　fate　which　should　transform　it　into　a　

chaos　of　rotting　remains；　and　finally　into　dust。



The　gates　were　open；　one…half　of　them　displaced　and　lying　on　

the　ground　at　the　entrance；　while　between　its　bars　had　grown　

the　grass；　which　also　covered　the　large　and　empty　court…yard。　

In　the　depths　of　this　yard　stood　a　low；　iron…roofed；　

smoke…begrimed　building。　　The　house　itself　was　of　course　

unoccupied；　but　this　shed；　formerly　a　blacksmith's　forge；　

was　now　turned　into　a　〃dosshouse；〃　kept　by　a　retired　captain　

named　Aristid　Fomich　Kuvalda。





15　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





In　the　interior　of　the　dosshouse　was　a　long；　wide　and　grimy　

board；　measuring　some　28　by　70　feet。　　The　room　was　lighted　

on　one　side　by　four　small　square　windows；　and　on　the　other　

by　a　wide　door。　　The　unpainted　brick　walls　were　black　with　

smoke；　and　the　ceiling；　which　was　built　of　timber；　was　almost　

black。　　In　the　middle　stood　a　large　stove；　the　furnace　of　which　

served　as　its　foundation；　and　around　this　stove　and　along　the　

walls　were　also　long；　wide　boards；　which　served　as　beds　for　

the　lodgers。　　The　walls　smelt　of　smoke；　the　earthen　floor　of　

dampness；　and　the　long；　wide　board　of　rotting　rags。



The　place　of　the　proprietor　was　on　the　top　of　the　stove；　

while　the　boards　surrounding　it　were　intended　for　those　who　

were　on　good　terms　with　the　owner；　and　who　were　honored　by　

his　friendship。　　During　the　day　the　captain　passed　most　of　his　

time　sitting　on　a　kind　of　bench；　made　by　himself　by　placing　

bricks　against　the　wall　of　the　court…yard；　or　else　in　the　

eating…house　of　Egor　Yavilovitch；　which　was　opposite　the　

house；　where　he　took　all　his　meals　and　where　he　also　drank　

vodki。



Before　renting　this　house；　Aristid　Kuvalda　had　kept　a　registry　

office　for　servants　in　the　town。　　If　we　look　further　back　into　

his　former　life；　we　shall　find　that　he　once　owned　printing　

works；　and　previous　to　this；　in　his　own　words；　he　〃just　lived！　

And　lived　well　too；　Devil　take　it；　and　like　one　who　knew　how！〃



He　was　a　tall；　broad…shouldered　man　of　fifty；　with　a

raw…looking　face；　swollen　with　drunkenness；　and　with　a

dirty　yellowish　beard。　





16　　CREATURES　THAT　ONCE　WERE　MEN





His　eyes　were　large　and　gray；　with　an　insolent　expression　of　

happiness。　　He　spoke　in　a　bass　voice　and　with　a　sort　of　

grumbling　sound　in　his　throat；　and　he　almost　always　held　

between　his　teeth　a　German　china　pipe　with　a　long　bowl。　When　

he　was　angry　the　nostrils　of　his　big；　crooked　red　nose　swelled；

and　his　lips　trembled；　exposing　to　view　two　rows　of　large　and　

wolf…like　yellow　teeth。　　He　had　long　arms；　was　lame；　and　always　

dressed　in　an　old　officer's　uniform；　with　a　dirty；　greasy　cap　

with　a　red　band；　a　hat　without　a　brim；　and　ragged　felt　boots　

which　reached　almost　to　his　knees。　　In　the　morning；　as　a　rule；　

he　had　a　hea