herland(她乡)-第30节
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combat。 There's no Drama here。 Look at their plays！ They make me
sick。〃
He rather had us there。 The drama of the country wasto our
tasterather flat。 You see； they lacked the sex motive and； with it；
jealousy。 They had no interplay of warring nations； no aristocracy and its
ambitions； no wealth and poverty opposition。
I see I have said little about the economics of the place； it should
have come before； but I'll go on about the drama now。
They had their own kind。 There was a most impressive array
of pageantry； of processions； a sort of grand ritual； with their arts and their
religion broadly blended。 The very babies joined in it。 To see one of their
great annual festivals； with the massed and marching stateliness of those
great mothers； the young women brave and noble； beautiful and strong；
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and then the children； taking part as naturally as ours would frolic round a
Christmas treeit was overpowering in the impression of joyous；
triumphant life。
They had begun at a period when the drama； the dance； music；
religion； and education were all very close together； and instead of
developing them in detached lines； they had kept the connection。 Let me
try again to give； if I can； a faint sense of the difference in the life view
the background and basis on which their culture rested。
Ellador told me a lot about it。 She took me to see the children；
the growing girls； the special teachers。 She picked out books for me to
read。 She always seemed to understand just what I wanted to know； and
how to give it to me。
While Terry and Alima struck sparks and partedhe always
madly drawn to her and she to himshe must have been； or she'd never
have stood the way he behavedEllador and I had already a deep； restful
feeling； as if we'd always had one another。 Jeff and Celis were happy；
there was no question of that； but it didn't seem to me as if they had the
good times we did。
Well； here is the Herland child facing lifeas Ellador tried to
show it to me。 From the first memory； they knew Peace； Beauty； Order；
Safety； Love； Wisdom； Justice； Patience； and Plenty。 By 〃plenty〃 I mean
that the babies grew up in an environment which met their needs； just as
young fawns might grow up in dewy forest glades and brook…fed meadows。
And they enjoyed it as frankly and utterly as the fawns would。
They found themselves in a big bright lovely world； full of the
most interesting and enchanting things to learn about and to do。 The
people everywhere were friendly and polite。 No Herland child ever met
the overbearing rudeness we so commonly show to children。 They were
People； too； from the first； the most precious part of the nation。
In each step of the rich experience of living； they found the
instance they were studying widen out into contact with an endless range
of common interests。 The things they learned were RELATED； from the
first； related to one another； and to the national prosperity。
〃It was a butterfly that made me a forester；〃 said Ellador。 〃I was
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about eleven years old； and I found a big purple…and…green butterfly on a
low flower。 I caught it； very carefully； by the closed wings； as I had been
told to do； and carried it to the nearest insect teacher〃I made a note there
to ask her what on earth an insect teacher was〃to ask her its name。 She
took it from me with a little cry of delight。 ‘Oh； you blessed child；' she
said。 ‘Do you like obernuts？' Of course I liked obernuts； and said so。
It is our best food…nut； you know。 ‘This is a female of the obernut moth；'
she told me。 ‘They are almost gone。 We have been trying to
exterminate them for centuries。 If you had not caught this one； it might
have laid eggs enough to raise worms enough to destroy thousands of our
nut treesthousands of bushels of nutsand make years and years of
trouble for us。'
〃Everybody congratulated me。 The children all over the
country were told to watch for that moth； if there were any more。 I was
shown the history of the creature； and an account of the damage it used to
do and of how long and hard our foremothers had worked to save that tree
for us。 I grew a foot； it seemed to me； and determined then and there to
be a forester。〃
This is but an instance； she showed me many。 The big
difference was that whereas our children grow up in private homes and
families； with every effort made to protect and seclude them from a
dangerous world； here they grew up in a wide； friendly world； and knew it
for theirs； from the first。
Their child…literature was a wonderful thing。 I could have
spent years following the delicate subtleties； the smooth simplicities with
which they had bent that great art to the service of the child mind。
We have two life cycles： the man's and the woman's。 To the
man there is growth； struggle； conquest； the establishment of his family；
and as much further success in gain or ambition as he can achieve。
To the woman； growth； the securing of a husband； the
subordinate activities of family life； and afterward such 〃social〃 or
charitable interests as her position allows。
Here was but one cycle； and that a large one。
The child entered upon a broad open field of life； in which
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motherhood was the one great personal contribution to the national life；
and all the rest the individual share in their common activities。 Every girl I
talked to； at any age above babyhood； had her cheerful determination as to
what she was going to be when she grew up。
What Terry meant by saying they had no 〃modesty〃 was that this
great life…view had no shady places； they had a high sense of personal
decorum； but no shameno knowledge of anything to be ashamed of。
Even their shortcomings and misdeeds in childhood never were
presented to them as sins； merely as errors and misplays as in a game。
Some of them； who were palpably less agreeable than others or who had a
real weakness or fault； were treated with cheerful allowance； as a friendly
group at whist would treat a poor player。
Their religion； you see； was maternal； and their ethics； based on
the full perception of evolution； showed the principle of growth and the
beauty of wise culture。 They had no theory of the essential opposition of
good and evil； life to them was growth； their pleasure was in growing； and
their duty also。
With this background； with their sublimated mother…love；
expressed in terms of widest social activity； every phase of their work was
modified by its effect on the national growth。 The language itself they
had deliberately clarified； simplified； made easy and beautiful； for the sake
of the children。
This seemed to us a wholly incredible thing： first； that any
nation should have the foresight； the strength； and the persistence to plan
and fulfill such a task； and second； that women should have had so much
initiative。 We have assumed； as a matter of course； that women had none；
that only the man； with his natural energy and impatience of restriction；
would ever invent anything。
Here we found that the pressure of life upon the environment
develops in the human mind its inventive reactions； regardless of sex； and
further； that a fully awakened motherhood plans and works without limit；
for the good of the child。
That the children might be most nobly born； and reared in an
environment calculated to allow the richest； freest growth； they had
