erewhon revisited-第13节

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blindfolded。　　Nevertheless　he　felt　sure　that　if　the　towers　had　been
there　he　should　have　seen　them；　and　rightly　guessed　that　they　must
belong　to　the　temple　which　was　to　be　dedicated　to　himself　on
Sunday。

When　he　had　passed　through　the　suburbs　he　found　himself　in　the　main
street。　　Space　will　not　allow　me　to　dwell　on　more　than　a　few　of　the
things　which　caught　his　eye；　and　assured　him　that　the　change　in
Erewhonian　habits　and　opinions　had　been　even　more　cataclysmic　than
he　had　already　divined。　　The　first　important　building　that　he　came
to　proclaimed　itself　as　the　College　of　Spiritual　Athletics；　and　in
the　window　of　a　shop　that　was　evidently　affiliated　to　the　college
he　saw　an　announcement　that　moral　try…your…strengths；　suitable　for
every　kind　of　ordinary　temptation；　would　be　provided　on　the
shortest　notice。　　Some　of　those　that　aimed　at　the　more　common　kinds
of　temptation　were　kept　in　stock；　but　these　consisted　chiefly　of
trials　to　the　temper。　　On　dropping；　for　example；　a　penny　into　a
slot；　you　could　have　a　jet　of　fine　pepper；　flour；　or　brickdust；
whichever　you　might　prefer；　thrown　on　to　your　face；　and　thus
discover　whether　your　composure　stood　in　need　of　further
development　or　no。　　My　father　gathered　this　from　the　writing　that
was　pasted　on　to　the　try…your…strength；　but　he　had　no　time　to　go
inside　the　shop　and　test　either　the　machine　or　his　own　temper。
Other　temptations　to　irritability　required　the　agency　of　living
people；　or　at　any　rate　living　beings。　　Crying　children；　screaming
parrots；　a　spiteful　monkey；　might　be　hired　on　ridiculously　easy
terms。　　He　saw　one　advertisement；　nicely　framed；　which　ran　as
follows：…


〃Mrs。　Tantrums；　Nagger；　certificated　by　the　College　of　Spiritual
Athletics。　　Terms　for　ordinary　nagging；　two　shillings　and　sixpence
per　hour。　　Hysterics　extra。〃


Then　followed　a　series　of　testimonialsfor　example：…


〃Dear　Mrs。　Tantrums；I　have　for　years　been　tortured　with　a　husband
of　unusually　peevish；　irritable　temper；　who　made　my　life　so
intolerable　that　I　sometimes　answered　him　in　a　way　that　led　to　his
using　personal　violence　towards　me。　　After　taking　a　course　of
twelve　sittings　from　you；　I　found　my　husband's　temper　comparatively
angelic；　and　we　have　ever　since　lived　together　in　complete
harmony。〃


Another　was　from　a　husband：…


〃Mr。presents　his　compliments　to　Mrs。　Tantrums；　and　begs　to　assure
her　that　her　extra　special　hysterics　have　so　far　surpassed　anything
his　wife　can　do；　as　to　render　him　callous　to　those　attacks　which　he
had　formerly　found　so　distressing。〃


There　were　many　others　of　a　like　purport；　but　time　did　not　permit
my　father　to　do　more　than　glance　at　them。　　He　contented　himself
with　the　two　following；　of　which　the　first　ran：…


〃He　did　try　it　at　last。　　A　little　correction　of　the　right　kind
taken　at　the　right　moment　is　invaluable。　　No　more　swearing。　　No
more　bad　language　of　any　kind。　　A　lamb…like　temper　ensured　in　about
twenty　minutes；　by　a　single　dose　of　one　of　our　spiritual
indigestion　tabloids。　　In　cases　of　all　the　more　ordinary　moral
ailments；　from　simple　lying；　to　homicidal　mania；　in　cases　again　of
tendency　to　hatred；　malice；　and　uncharitableness；　of　atrophy　or
hypertrophy　of　the　conscience；　of　costiveness　or　diarrhoea　of　the
sympathetic　instincts；　&c。；　&c。；　our　spiritual　indigestion　tabloids
will　afford　unfailing　and　immediate　relief。

〃N。B。A　bottle　or　two　of　our　Sunchild　Cordial　will　assist　the
operation　of　the　tabloids。〃


The　second　and　last　that　I　can　give　was　as　follows：…


〃All　else　is　useless。　　If　you　wish　to　be　a　social　success；　make
yourself　a　good　listener。　　There　is　no　short　cut　to　this。　　A　would…
be　listener　must　learn　the　rudiments　of　his　art　and　go　through　the
mill　like　other　people。　　If　he　would　develop　a　power　of　suffering
fools　gladly；　he　must　begin　by　suffering　them　without　the　gladness。
Professor　Proser；　ex…straightener；　certificated　bore；　pragmatic　or
coruscating；　with　or　without　anecdotes；　attends　pupils　at　their　own
houses。　　Terms　moderate。

〃Mrs。　Proser；　whose　success　as　a　professional　mind…dresser　is　so
well…known　that　lengthened　advertisement　is　unnecessary；　prepares
ladies　or　gentlemen　with　appropriate　remarks　to　be　made　at　dinner…
parties　or　at…homes。　　Mrs。　P。　keeps　herself　well　up　to　date　with
all　the　latest　scandals。〃


〃Poor；　poor；　straighteners！〃　said　my　father　to　himself。　　〃Alas！
that　it　should　have　been　my　fate　to　ruin　youfor　I　suppose　your
occupation　is　gone。〃

Tearing　himself　away　from　the　College　of　Spiritual　Athletics　and
its　affiliated　shop；　he　passed　on　a　few　doors；　only　to　find　himself
looking　in　at　what　was　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　chemist's　shop。
In　the　window　there　were　advertisements　which　showed　that　the
practice　of　medicine　was　now　legal；　but　my　father　could　not　stay　to
copy　a　single　one　of　the　fantastic　announcements　that　a　hurried
glance　revealed　to　him。

It　was　also　plain　here；　as　from　the　shop　already　more　fully
described；　that　the　edicts　against　machines　had　been　repealed；　for
there　were　physical　try…your…strengths；　as　in　the　other　shop　there
had　been　moral　ones；　and　such　machines　under　the　old　law　would　not
have　been　tolerated　for　a　moment。

My　father　made　his　purchases　just　as　the　last　shops　were　closing。
He　noticed　that　almost　all　of　them　were　full　of　articles　labelled
〃Dedication。〃　　There　was　Dedication　gingerbread；　stamped　with　a
moulded　representation　of　the　new　temple；　there　were　Dedication
syrups；　Dedication　pocket…handkerchiefs；　also　shewing　the　temple；
and　in　one　corner　giving　a　highly　idealised　portrait　of　my　father
himself。　　The　chariot　and　the　horses　figured　largely；　and　in　the
confectioners'　shops　there　were　models　of　the　newly　discovered
relicmade；　so　my　father　thought；　with　a　little　heap　of　cherries
or　strawberries；　smothered　in　chocolate。　　Outside　one　tailor's　shop
he　saw　a　flaring　advertisement　which　can　only　be　translated；　〃Try
our　Dedication　trousers；　price　ten　shillings　and　sixpence。〃

Presently　he　passed　the　new　temple；　but　it　was　too　dark　for　him　to
do　more　than　see　that　it　was　a　vast　fane；　and　must　have　cost　an
untold　amount　of　money。　　At　every　turn　he　found　himself　more　and
more　shocked；　as　he　realised　more　and　more　fully　the　mischief　he
had　already　occasioned；　and　the　certainty　that　this　was　small　as
compared　with　that　which　would　grow　up　hereafter。

〃What；〃　he　said　to　me；　very　coherently　and　quietly；　〃was　I　to　do？
I　had　struck　a　bargain　with　that　dear　fellow；　though　he　knew　not
what　I　meant；　to　the　effect　that　I　should　try　to　undo　the　harm　I
had　done；　by　standing　up　before　the　people　on　Sunday　and　saying　who
I　was。　　True；　they　would　not　believe　me。　　They　would　look　at　my
hair　and　see　it　black；　whereas　it　should　be　very　light。　　On　this
they　would　look　no　further；　but　very　likely　tear　me　in　pieces　then
and　there。　　Suppose　that　the　authorities　held　a　post…mortem
examination；　and　that　many　who　knew　me　（let　alone　that　all　my
measurements　and　marks　were　recorded　twenty　years　ago）　identified
the　body　as　mine：　　would　those　in　power　admit　that　I　was　the
Sunchild？　　Not　they。　　The　interests　vested　in　my　being　now　in　the
palace　of　the　sun　are　too　great　to　allow　of　my　having　been　torn　to
pieces　in　Sunch'ston；　no　matter　how　truly　I　had　been　torn；　the
whole　thing　would　be　hushed　up；　and　the　utmost　that　could　come　of
it　would　be　a　heresy　which　would　in　time　be　crushed。

〃On　the　other　hand；　what　business　have　I　with　'would　be'　or　'would
not　be？'　　Should　I　not　speak　out；　come　what　may；　when　I　see　a　whole
people　being　led　astray　by　those　who　are　merely　exploiting　them　for
their　own　ends？　　Though　I　could　do　but　little；　ought　I　not　to　do
that　little？　　What　did　that　good　fellow's　instinctso　straight
from　heaven；　so　true；　so　healthytell　him？　　What　did　my　own
instinct　answer？　　What　would　the　conscience　of　any　honourable　man
answer？　　Who　can　doubt？

〃And　yet；　is　there　not　reason？　and　is　it　not　God…given　as　much　as
instinct？　　I　remember　having　heard　an　anthem　in　my　young　days；　'O
where　shall　wisdom　be　found？　the　deep　saith　it　is　not　in　me。'　　As
the　singers　kept　on　repeating　the　question；　I　kept　on　saying
sorrowfully　to　myself'Ah；　where；　where；　where？'　and　when　the
triumphant　answer　came；　'The　fear　of　the　Lord；　that　is　wisdom；　and
to　depart　from　evil　is　understanding；'　I　shrunk　ashamed　into　myself
for　not　having　foreseen　it。　　In　later　life；　when　I　have　tried　to
use　this　answer　as　a　light　by　which　I　could　walk；　I　found　it　served
but　to　the　raising　of　another　question；　'What　is　the　fear　of　the
Lord；　and　what　is　evil　in　this　particular　case？'　　And　my　easy
method　with　spiritual　dilemmas　proved　to　be　but　a　case　of　ignotum
per　ignotius。

〃If　Satan　himself　is　at　times　transformed　into　an　angel　of　light；
are　not　angels　of　light　sometimes　transformed　into　the　likeness　of
Satan？　　If　the　devil　is　not　so　black　as　he　is　painted；　is　God
always　so　white？　　And　is　there　not　another　place　in　which　it　is
said；　'The　fear　of　the　Lord　is　the　beginning　of　wisdom；'　as　though
it　were　not　the　last　word　upon　the　subject？　　If　a　man　should　not　do
evil　that　good　may　come；　so　neither　should　he　do　good　that　evil　may
come；　and　though　it　were　good　for　me　to　speak　out；　should　I　not　do
better　by　refraining？