the soul of the far east-第9节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


r　in　the　family　ranks。　　But　his　opportunities　for　the　expression　of　individuality　are　not　one　whit　increased。　He　has　simply　advanced　a　peg　in　a　regular　hierarchy　of　subjection。　　From　being　looked　after　himself　he　proceeds　to　look　after　others。　　Such　is　the　extent　of　the　change。　　Even　should　he　chance　to　be　the　eldest　son　of　the　eldest　son；　and　thus　eventually　end　by　becoming　the　head　of　the　family；　he　cannot　consistently　consider　himself。　　There　is　absolutely　no　place　in　his　social　cosmos　for　so　particular　a　thing　as　the　ego。

With　a　certain　grim　humor　suggestive　of　metaphysics；　it　may　be　said　of　his　whole　life　that　it　is　nothing　but　a　relative　affair　after　all。


Chapter　3。　　Adoption。

But　one　may　go　a　step　farther　in　this　matter　of　the　family；　and　by　so　doing　fare　still　worse　with　respect　to　individuality。　　There　are　certain　customs　in　vogue　among　these　peoples　which　would　seem　to　indicate　that　even　so　generic　a　thing　as　the　family　is　too　personal　to　serve　them　for　ultimate　social　atom；　and　that　in　fact　it　is　only　the　idea　of　the　family　that　is　really　important；　a　case　of　abstraction　of　an　abstract。　　These　suggestive　customs　are　the　far…eastern　practices　of　adoption　and　abdication。

Adoption；　with　us；　is　a　kind　of　domestic　luxury；　akin　to　the　keeping　of　any　other　pets；　such　as　lap…dogs　and　canaries。　　It　is　a　species　of　self…indulgence　which　those　who　can　afford　it　give　themselves　when　fortune　has　proved　unpropitious；　an　artificial　method　of　counteracting　the　inequalities　of　fate。　　That　such　is　the　plain　unglamoured　view　of　the　procedure　is　shown　by　the　age　at　which　the　object　is　adopted。　　Usually　the　future　son　or　daughter　enters　the　adoptive　household　as　an　infant；　intentionally　so　on　the　part　of　the　would…be　parents。　　His　ignorance　of　a　previous　relationship　largely　increases　his　relative　value；　for　the　possibility　of　his　making　comparisons　in　his　own　mind　between　a　former　state　of　existence　and　the　present　one　unfavorable　to　the　latter　is　not　pleasant　for　the　adopters　to　contemplate。　　He　is　therefore　acquired　young。　　The　amusement　derived　from　his　company　is　thus　seen　to　be　distinctly　paramount　to　all　other　considerations。　　No　one　cares　so　heartily　to　own　a　dog　which　has　been　the　property　of　another；　a　fortiori　of　a　child。　　It　is　clearly；　then；　not　as　a　necessity　that　the　babe　is　adopted。　　If　such　were　the　case；　if　like　the　ancient　Romans　all　a　man　wanted　was　the　continuance　of　the　family　line；　he　would　naturally　wait　until　the　last　practicable　moment；　for　he　would　thus　save　both　care　and　expense。　　In　the　Far　East　adoption　is　quite　a　different　affair。　　There　it　is　a　genealogical　necessitylike　having　a　father　or　mother。　　It　is；　indeed；　of　almost　more　importance。　For　the　great　desideratum　to　these　peoples　is　not　ancestors　but　descendants。　Pedigrees　in　the　land　of　the　universal　opposite　are　not　matters　of　bequest　but　of　posthumous　reversion。　　A　man　is　not　beholden　to　the　past；　he　looks　forward　to　the　future　for　inherited　honors。　　No　fame　attaches　to　him　for　having　had　an　illustrious　grandfather。　　On　the　contrary；　it　is　the　illustrious　grandson　who　reflects　some　of　his　own　greatness　back　upon　his　grandfather。　　If　a　man　therefore　fail　to　attain　eminence　himself；　he　always　has　another　chance　in　his　descendants；　for　he　will　of　necessity　be　ennobled　through　the　merits　of　those　who　succeed　him。　　Such　is　the　immemorial　law　of　the　land。　Fame　is　retroactive。　　This　admirable　system　has　only　one　objection：　it　is　posthumous　in　its　effect。　　An　ambitious　man　who　unfortunately　lacks　ability　himself　has　to　wait　too　long　for　vicarious　recognition。　　The　objection　is　like　that　incident　to　the　making　of　a　country　seat　out　of　a　treeless　plain　by　planting　the　same　with　saplings。　　About　the　time　the　trees　begin　to　be　worth　having　the　proprietary　landscape…gardener　dies　of　old　age。　　However；　as　custom　permits　a　Far　Oriental　no　ancestral　growth　of　timber；　he　is　obliged　to　lay　the　seeds　of　his　own　family　trees。　　Natural　offspring　are　on　the　whole　easier　to　get；　and　more　satisfactory　when　got。　　Hence　the　haste　with　which　these　peoples　rush　into　matrimony。　　If　in　despite　of　his　precipitation　fate　perversely　refuse　to　grant　him　children；　he　must　endeavor　to　make　good　the　omission　by　artificial　means。　　He　proceeds　to　adopt　somebody。　　True　to　instinct；　he　chooses　from　preference　a　collateral　relative。　　In　some　far…eastern　lands　he　must　so　restrict　himself　by　law。　　In　Korea；　for　instance；　he　can　only　adopt　an　agnate　and　one　of　a　lower　generation　than　his　own。　But　in　Japan　his　choice　is　not　so　limited。　　In　so　praiseworthy　an　act　as　the　perpetuation　of　his　unimportant　family　line；　it　is　deemed　unwise　in　that　progressive　land　to　hinder　him　from　unconsciously　bettering　it　by　the　way。　　He　is　consequently　permitted　to　adopt　anybody。　　As　people　are　by　no　means　averse　to　being　adopted；　the　power　to　adopt　whom　he　will　gives　him　more　voice　in　the　matter　of　his　unnatural　offspring　than　he　ever　had　in　the　selection　of　a　more　natural　one。　　

The　adopted　changes　his　name；　of　course；　to　take　that　of　the　family　he　enters。　　As　he　is　very　frequently　grown　up　and　extensively　known　at　the　time　the　adoption　takes　place；　his　change　of　cognomen　occasions　at　first　some　slight　confusion　among　his　acquaintance。　　This　would　be　no　worse；　however；　than　the　change　with　us　from　the　maid　to　the　matron；　and　intercourse　would　soon　proceed　smoothly　again　if　people　would　only　rest　content　with　one　such　domestic　migration。　　But　they　do　not。　　The　fatal　facility　of　the　process　tempts　them　to　repeat　it。　　The　result　is　bewildering：　a　people　as　nomadic　now　in　the　property　of　their　persons　as　their　forefathers　were　in　their　real　estate。　　A　man　adopts　another　to…day　to　unadopt　him　to…morrow　and　replace　him　by　somebody　else　the　day　after。　So　profoundly　unimportant　to　them　is　their　social　identity；　that　they　bandy　it　about　with　almost　farcical　freedom。　　Perhaps　it　is　fitting　that　there　should　be　some　slight　preparation　in　this　world　for　a　future　transmigration　of　souls。　　Still　one　fails　to　conceive　that　the　practice　can　be　devoid　of　disadvantages　even　to　its　beneficiaries。　To　foreigners　it　proves　disastrously　perplexing。　　For　if　you　chance　upon　a　man　whom　you　have　not　met　for　some　time；　you　can　never　be　quite　sure　how　to　accost　him。　If　you　begin；　〃Well　met；　Green；　how　goes　it？〃　as　likely　as　not　he　replies；　〃Finely。　　But　I　am　no　longer　Green；　I　have　become　Brown。　　I　was　adopted　last　month　by　my　maternal　grandfather。〃　You　of　course　apologize　for　your　unfortunate　mistake；　carefully　note　his　change　of　hue　for　a　future　occasion；　and　behold；　on　meeting　him　the　next　time　you　find　he　has　turned　Black。　　Such　a　chameleon…like　cognomen　is　very　unsettling　to　your　idea　of　his　identity；　and　can　hardly　prove　reassuring　to　his　own。　　The　only　persons　who　reap　any　benefit　from　the　doubt　are　those；　with　us　unhappy；　individuals　who　possess　the　futile　faculty　of　remembering　faces　without　recalling　their　accompanying　names。

Girls；　as　a　rule；　are　not　adopted；　being　valueless　genealogically。　　A　niece　or　grandniece　to　whom　one　has　taken　a　great　fancy　might　of　course　be　adopted　there　as　elsewhere；　but　it　would　be　distinctly　out　of　the　every…day　run；　as　she　could　never　be　included　in　the　household　on　strict　business　principles。

The　practice　of　adopting　is　not　confined　to　childless　couples。　　Others　may　find　themselves　in　quite　as　unfortunate　a　predicament。　A　man　may　be　the　father　of　a　large　and　thriving　family　and　yet　be　as　destitute　patriarchally　as　if　he　had　not　a　child　to　his　name。　His　offspring　may　be　of　the　wrong　sex；　they　may　all　be　girls。　In　this　untoward　event　the　father　has　something　more　on　his　hands　than　merely　a　houseful　of　daughters　to　dispose　of。　In　addition　to　securing　sons…in…law；　he　must；　unless　he　would　have　his　ancestral　line　become　extinct；　provide　himself　with　a　son。　　The　simplest　procedure　in　such　a　case　is　to　combine　relationships　in　a　single　individual；　and　the　most　self…evident　person　to　select　for　the　dual　capacity　is　the　husband　of　the　eldest　daughter。　　This　is　the　course　pursued。　　Some　worthy　young　man　is　secured　as　spouse　for　the　senior　sister；　he　is　at　the　same　time　formally　taken　in　as　a　son　by　the　family　whose　cognomen　he　assumes；　and　eventually　becomes　the　head　of　the　house。　　Strange　to　say；　this　vista　of　gradually　unfolding　honors　does　not　seem　to　prove　inviting。　　Perhaps　the　new…comer　objects　to　marrying　the　whole　family；　a　prejudice　not　without　parallel　elsewhere。　　Certainly　the　opportunity　is　not　appreciated。　Indeed；　to　〃go　out　as　a　son…in…law；〃　as　the　Japanese　idiom　hath　it；　is　considered　demeaning　to　the　matrimonial　domestic。　　Like　other　household　help　he　wears　too　patently　the　badge　of　servitude。　〃If　you　have　three　koku　of　rice　to　your　name；　don't　do　it；〃　is　the　advice　of　the　local　proverba　proverb　whose　warning　against　marrying　for　money　is　the　more　suggestive　for　being　launched　in　a　land　where　marrying　for　love　is　beyond　the　pale　of　respectability。　　To　barter　one's　name　in　this　mercenary　manner　is　looked　upon　as　derogatory　to　one's　self…respect；　although；　as　we　have　seen；　to　part　with　it　for　any　less　direct　remuneration　is　not　attended　with　the　slightest　loss　of　personal　prestige。　　As　practically　the　unfortunate　had　none　to　lose　in　either　event；　it　would　seem　to　be　a　case　of　taking