the soul of the far east-第8节

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ing；　to　get　a　wife　as　some　people　do　clothes；　not　to　their　own　order；　but　ready　made；　all　the　more　reason　when　the　bargain　is　for　one's　son；　not　one's　self。　　So　the　Far　East；　which　looks　at　the　thing　from　a　strictly　paternal　standpoint　and　ignores　such　trifles　as　personal　preferences；　takes　its　boy　to　the　broker's　and　fits　him　out。　That　the　object　of　such　parental　care　does　not　end　by　murdering　his　unfortunate　spouse　or　making　way　with　himself　suggests　how　dead　already　is　that　individuality　which　we　deem　to　be　of　the　very　essence　of　the　thing。

Marriage　is　thus　a　species　of　investment　contracted　by　the　existing　family　for　the　sake　of　the　prospective　one；　the　actual　participants　being　only　lay　figures　in　the　affair。　　Sometimes　the　father　decides　the　matter　himself；　sometimes　he　or　the　relative　who　stands　in　loco　parentis　calls　for　a　plebiscit　on　the　subject；　for　such　an　extension　of　the　suffrage　has　gradually　crept　even　into　patriarchal　institutions。　　The　family　then　assemble；　sit　in　solemn　conclave　on　the　question；　and　decide　it　by　vote。　　Of　course　the　interested　parties　are　not　asked　their　opinion；　as　it　might　be　prejudiced。　The　result　of　the　conference　must　be　highly　gratifying。　　To　have　one's　wife　chosen　for　one　by　vote　of　one's　relatives　cannot　but　be　satisfactoryto　the　electors。　　The　outcome　of　this　ballot；　like　that　of　universal　suffrage　elsewhere；　is　at　the　best　unobjectionable　mediocrity。　　Somehow　such　a　result　does　not　seem　quite　to　fulfil　one's　ideal　of　a　wife。　　It　is　true　that　the　upper　classes　of　impersonal　France　practise　this　method　of　marital　selection；　their　conseils　de　famille　furnishing　in　some　sort　a　parallel。　　But；　as　is　well　known；　matrimony　among　these　same　upper　classes　is　largely　form　devoid　of　substance。　　It　begins　impressively　with　a　dual　ceremony；　the　civil　contract；　which　amounts　to　a　contract　of　civility　between　the　parties；　and　a　religious　rite　to　render　the　same　perpetual；　and　there　it　is　too　apt　to　end。

So　much　for　the　immediate　influence　on　the　man；　the　eventual　effect　on　the　race　remains　to　be　considered。　　Now；　if　the　first　result　be　anything；　the　second　must　in　the　end　be　everything。　　For　however　trifling　it　be　in　the　individual　instance；　it　goes　on　accumulating　with　each　successive　generation；　like　compound　interest。　The　choosing　of　a　wife　by　family　suffrage　is　not　simply　an　exponent　of　the　impersonal　state　of　things；　it　is　a　power　toward　bringing　such　a　state　of　things　about。　　A　hermit　seldom　develops　to　his　full　possibilities；　and　the　domestic　variety　is　no　exception　to　the　rule。　A　man　who　is　linked　to　some　one　that　toward　him　remains　a　cipher　lacks　surroundings　inciting　to　psychological　growth；　nor　is　he　more　favorably　circumstanced　because　all　his　ancestors　have　been　similarly　circumscribed。

As　if　to　make　assurance　doubly　sure；　natural　selection　here　steps　in　to　further　the　process。　　To　prove　this　with　all　the　rigidity　of　demonstration　desirable　is　in　the　present　state　of　erotics　beyond　our　power。　　Until　our　family　trees　give　us　something　more　than　mere　skeletons　of　dead　branches；　we　must　perforce　continue　ignorant　of　the　science　of　grafts。　　For　the　nonce　we　must　be　content　to　generalize　from　our　own　premises；　only　rising　above　them　sufficiently　to　get　a　bird's…eye　view　of　our　neighbor's　estates。　Such　a　survey　has　at　least　one　advantage：　the　whole　field　of　view　appears　perfectly　plain。

Surveying　the　subject；　then；　from　this　ego…altruistic　position；　we　can　perceive　why　matrimony；　as　we　practise　it；　should　result　in　increasing　the　personality　of　our　race：　for　the　reason　namely　that　psychical　similarity　determines　the　selection。　　At　first　sight；　indeed；　such　a　natural　affinity　would　seem　to　have　little　or　nothing　to　do　with　marriage。　　As　far　as　outsiders　are　capable　of　judging；　unlikes　appear　to　fancy　one　another　quite　as　gratuitously　as　do　likes。　　Connubial　couples　are　often　anything　but　twin　souls。　　Yet　our　own　dual　use　of　the　word　〃like〃　bears　historic　witness　to　the　contrary。　　For　in　this　expression　we　have　a　record　from　early　Gothic　times　that　men　liked　others　for　being　like　themselves。　Since　then；　our　feelings　have　not　changed　materially；　although　our　mode　of　showing　them　is　slightly　less　intense。　　In　those　simple　days　stranger　and　enemy　were　synonymous　terms；　and　their　objects　were　received　in　a　corresponding　spirit。　　In　our　present　refined　civilization　we　hurl　epithets　instead　of　spears；　and　content　ourselves　with　branding　as　heterodox　the　opinions　of　another　which　do　not　happen　to　coincide　with　our　own。　　The　instinct　of　self…development　naturally　begets　this　self…sided　view。　　We　insensibly　find　those　persons　congenial　whose　ideas　resemble　ours；　and　gravitate　to　them；　as　leaves　on　a　pond　do　to　one　another；　nearer　and　nearer　till　they　touch。　　Is　it　likely；　then；　that　in　the　most　important　case　of　all　the　rule　should　suddenly　cease　to　hold？　　Is　it　to　be　presumed　that　even　Socrates　chose　Xantippe　for　her　remarkable　contrariety　to　himself？

Mere　physical　attraction　is　another　matter。　　Corporeally　considered；　men　not　infrequently　fall　in　love　with　their　opposites；　the　phenomenally　tall　with　the　painfully　short；　the　unnecessarily　stout　with　the　distressingly　slender。　　But　even　such　inartistic　juxtapositions　are　much　less　common　than　we　are　apt　at　times　to　think。　　For　it　must　never　be　forgotten　that　the　exceptional　character　of　the　phenomena　renders　them　conspicuous；　the　customary　more　consorted　combinations　failing　to　excite　attention。

Besides；　there　exists　a　reason　for　physical　incongruity　which　does　not　hold　psychically。　　Nature　sanctions　the　one　while　she　discountenances　the　other。　　Instead　of　the　forethought　she　once　bestowed　upon　the　body；　it　receives　at　her　hands　now　but　the　scantiest　attention。　　Its　development　has　ceased　to　be　an　object　with　her。　　For　some　time　past　almost　all　her　care　has　been　devoted　to　the　evolution　of　the　soul。　　The　consequence　is　that　physically　man　is　much　less　specialized　than　many　other　animals。　　In　other　words；　he　is　bodily　less　advanced　in　the　race　for　competitive　extermination。　　He　belongs　to　an　antiquated；　inefficient　type　of　mammal。　　His　organism　is　still　of　the　jack…of…all…trades　pattern；　such　as　prevailed　generally　in　the　more　youthful　stages　of　organic　lifeone　not　specially　suited　to　any　particular　pursuit。　　Were　it　not　for　his　cerebral　convolutions　he　could　not　compete　for　an　instant　in　the　struggle　for　existence；　and　even　the　monkey　would　reign　in　his　stead。　　But　brain　is　more　effective　than　biceps；　and　a　being　who　can　kill　his　opponent　farther　off　than　he　can　see　him　evidently　needs　no　great　excellence　of　body　to　survive　his　foe。

The　field　of　competition　has　thus　been　transferred　from　matter　to　mind；　but　the　fight　has　lost　none　of　its　keenness　in　consequence。　With　the　same　zeal　with　which　advantageous　anatomical　variations　were　seized　upon　and　perpetuated；　psychical　ones　are　now　grasped　and　rendered　hereditary。　　Now　if　opposites　were　to　fancy　and　wed　one　another；　such　fortunate　improvements　would　soon　be　lost。　　They　would　be　scattered　over　the　community　at　large　even　it　they　escaped　entire　neutralization。　　To　prevent　so　disastrous　a　result　nature　implants　a　desire　for　resemblance；　which　desire　man　instinctively　acts　upon。

Complete　compatibility　of　temperament　is　of　course　a　thing　not　to　be　expected　nor　indeed　to　be　desired；　since　it　would　defeat　its　own　end　by　allowing　no　room　for　variation。　　A　fairly　broad　basis　of　agreement；　however；　exists　even　when　least　suspected。　　This　common　ground　of　content　consists　of　those　qualities　held　to　be　most　essential　by　the　individuals　concerned；　although　not　necessarily　so　appearing　to　other　people。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　these　qualities　are　still　in　the　larvae　state　of　desires。　　They　are　none　the　less　potent　upon　the　man's　personality　on　that　account；　for　the　wish　is　always　father　to　its　own　fulfilment。

The　want　of　conjugal　resemblance　not　only　works　mediately　on　the　child；　it　works　mutually　on　the　parents；　for　companionship；　as　is　well　recognized；　tends　to　similarity。　　Now　companionship　is　the　last　thing　to　be　looked　for　in　a　far…eastern　couple。　　Where　custom　requires　a　wife　to　follow　dutifully　in　the　wake　of　her　husband；　whenever　the　two　go　out　together；　there　is　small　opportunity　for　intercourse　by　the　way；　even　were　there　the　slightest　inclination　to　it；　which　there　is　not。　　The　appearance　of　the　pair　on　an　excursion　is　a　walking　satire　on　sociability；　for　the　comicality　of　the　connection　is　quite　unperceived　by　the　performers。　　In　the　privacy　of　the　domestic　circle　the　separation；　if　less　humorous；　is　no　less　complete。　　Each　lives　in　a　world　of　his　own；　largely　separate　in　fact　in　China　and　Korea；　and　none　the　less　in　fancy　in　Japan。　On　the　continent　a　friend　of　the　husband　would　see　little　or　nothing　of　the　wife；　and　even　in　Japan　he　would　meet　her　much　as　we　meet　an　upper　servant　in　a　friend's　house。　　Such　a　semi…attached　relationship　does　not　conduce　to　much　mutual　understanding。

The　remainder　of　our　hero's　uneventful　existence　calls　for　no　particular　comment。　　As　soon　as　he　has　children　borne　him　he　is　raised　ipso　facto　from　the　position　of　a　common　soldier　to　that　of　a　subordinate　officer　in　the　family　ranks。　　But　his　opportunities　for　the　expression　of　individuality　are　not　one　whit　i