01-what is man-第9节
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SECONDARY。 Your Master was displeased with you； although you had
obeyed him。 He required a prompt REPENTANCE； you obeyed again；
you HAD tothere is never any escape from his commands。 He is a
hard master and fickle； he changes his mind in the fraction of a
second； but you must be ready to obey； and you will obey； ALWAYS。
If he requires repentance； you content him； you will always
furnish it。 He must be nursed； petted； coddled； and kept
contented； let the terms be what they may。
Y。M。 Training！ Oh； what's the use of it？ Didn't I； and
didn't my mother try to train me up to where I would no longer
fly out at that girl？
O。M。 Have you never managed to keep back a scolding？
Y。M。 Oh； certainlymany times。
O。M。 More times this year than last？
Y。M。 Yes； a good many more。
O。M。 More times last year than the year before？
Y。M。 Yes。
O。M。 There is a large improvement； then； in the two years？
Y。M。 Yes； undoubtedly。
O。M。 Then your question is answered。 You see there IS use in
training。 Keep on。 Keeping faithfully on。 You are doing well。
Y。M。 Will my reform reach perfection？
O。M。 It will。 UP to YOUR limit。
Y。M。 My limit？ What do you mean by that？
O。M。 You remember that you said that I said training was
EVERYTHING。 I corrected you； and said 〃training and ANOTHER
thing。〃 That other thing is TEMPERAMENTthat is； the
disposition you were born with。 YOU CAN'T ERADICATE YOUR
DISPOSITION NOR ANY RAG OF ITyou can only put a pressure on it
and keep it down and quiet。 You have a warm temper？
Y。M。 Yes。
O。M。 You will never get rid of it； but by watching it you
can keep it down nearly all the time。 ITS PRESENCE IS YOUR
LIMIT。 Your reform will never quite reach perfection； for your
temper will beat you now and then； but you come near enough。 You
have made valuable progress and can make more。 There IS use in
training。 Immense use。 Presently you will reach a new stage of
development； then your progress will be easier； will proceed on a
simpler basis； anyway。
Y。M。 Explain。
O。M。 You keep back your scoldings now； to please YOURSELF
by pleasing your MOTHER； presently the mere triumphing over your
temper will delight your vanity and confer a more delicious
pleasure and satisfaction upon you than even the approbation of
your MOTHER confers upon you now。 You will then labor for
yourself directly and at FIRST HAND； not by the roundabout way
through your mother。 It simplifies the matter； and it also
strengthens the impulse。
Y。M。 Ah； dear！ But I sha'n't ever reach the point where I
will spare the girl for HER sake PRIMARILY； not mine？
O。M。 Whyyes。 In heaven。
Y。M。 （AFTER A REFLECTIVE PAUSE） Temperament。 Well； I see
one must allow for temperament。 It is a large factor； sure
enough。 My mother is thoughtful； and not hot…tempered。 When I
was dressed I went to her room； she was not there； I called； she
answered from the bathroom。 I heard the water running。 I
inquired。 She answered； without temper； that Jane had forgotten
her bath； and she was preparing it herself。 I offered to ring；
but she said； 〃No； don't do that； it would only distress her to
be confronted with her lapse； and would be a rebuke； she doesn't
deserve thatshe is not to blame for the tricks her memory
serves her。〃 I sayhas my mother an Interior Master？and where
was he？
O。M。 He was there。 There； and looking out for his own
peace and pleasure and contentment。 The girl's distress would
have pained YOUR MOTHER。 Otherwise the girl would have been rung
up； distress and all。 I know women who would have gotten a No。 1
PLEASURE out of ringing Jane upand so they would infallibly
have pushed the button and obeyed the law of their make and
training； which are the servants of their Interior Masters。 It
is quite likely that a part of your mother's forbearance came
from training。 The GOOD kind of trainingwhose best and highest
function is to see to it that every time it confers a
satisfaction upon its pupil a benefit shall fall at second hand
upon others。
Y。M。 If you were going to condense into an admonition your
plan for the general betterment of the race's condition； how
would you word it？
Admonition
O。M。 Diligently train your ideals UPWARD and STILL UPWARD
toward a summit where you will find your chiefest pleasure in
conduct which； while contenting you； will be sure to confer
benefits upon your neighbor and the community。
Y。M。 Is that a new gospel？
O。M。 No。
Y。M。 It has been taught before？
O。M。 For ten thousand years。
Y。M。 By whom？
O。M。 All the great religionsall the great gospels。
Y。M。 Then there is nothing new about it？
O。M。 Oh yes； there is。 It is candidly stated； this time。
That has not been done before。
Y。M。 How do you mean？
O。M。 Haven't I put YOU FIRST； and your neighbor and the
community AFTERWARD？
Y。M。 Well； yes； that is a difference； it is true。
O。M。 The difference between straight speaking and crooked；
the difference between frankness and shuffling。
Y。M。 Explain。
O。M。 The others offer your a hundred bribes to be good；
thus conceding that the Master inside of you must be conciliated
and contented first； and that you will do nothing at FIRST HAND
but for his sake； then they turn square around and require you to
do good for OTHER'S sake CHIEFLY； and to do your duty for duty's
SAKE； chiefly； and to do acts of SELF…SACRIFICE。 Thus at the
outset we all stand upon the same groundrecognition of the
supreme and absolute Monarch that resides in man； and we all
grovel before him and appeal to him； then those others dodge and
shuffle； and face around and unfrankly and inconsistently and
illogically change the form of their appeal and direct its
persuasions to man's SECOND…PLACE powers and to powers which have
NO EXISTENCE in him； thus advancing them to FIRST place； whereas
in my Admonition I stick logically and consistently to the
original position： I place the Interior Master's requirements
FIRST； and keep them there。
Y。M。 If we grant； for the sake of argument； that your
scheme and the other schemes aim at and produce the same result
RIGHT LIVINGhas yours an advantage over the others？
O。M。 One； yesa large one。 It has no concealments； no
deceptions。 When a man leads a right and valuable life under it
he is not deceived as to the REAL chief motive which impels him
to itin those other cases he is。
Y。M。 Is that an advantage？ Is it an advantage to live a
lofty life for a mean reason？ In the other cases he lives the
lofty life under the IMPRESSION that he is living for a lofty
reason。 Is not that an advantage？
O。M。 Perhaps so。 The same advantage he might get out of
thinking himself a duke； and living a duke's life and parading in
ducal fuss and feathers； when he wasn't a duke at all； and could
find it out if he would only examine the herald's records。
Y。M。 But anyway； he is obliged to do a duke's part； he puts
his hand in his pocket and does his benevolences on as big a
scale as he can stand； and that benefits the community。
O。M。 He could do that without being a duke。
Y。M。 But would he？
O。M。 Don't you see where you are arriving？
Y。M。 Where？
O。M。 At the standpoint of the other schemes： That it is
good morals to let an ignorant duke do showy benevolences for his
pride's sake； a pretty low motive； and go on doing them unwarned；
lest if he were made acquainted with the actual motive which
prompted them he might shut up his purse and cease to be good？
Y。M。 But isn't it best to leave him in ignorance； as long
as he THINKS he is doing good for others' sake？
O。M。 Perhaps so。 It is the position of the other schemes。
They think humbug is good enough morals when the dividend on it
is good deeds and handsome conduct。
Y。M。 It is my opinion that under your scheme of a man's
doing a good deed for his OWN sake first…off； instead of first
for the GOOD DEED'S sake； no man would ever do one。
O。M。 Have you committed a benevolence lately？
Y。M。 Yes。 This morning。
O。M。 Give the particulars。
Y。M。 The cabin of the old negro woman who used to nurse me
when I was a child and who saved my life once at the risk of her
own； was burned last night； and she came mourning this morning；
and pleading for money to build another one。
O。M。 You furnished it？
Y。M。 Certainly。
O。M。 You were glad you had the money？
Y。M。 Money？ I hadn't。 I sold my horse。
O。M。 You were glad you had the horse？
Y。M。 Of course I was； for if I hadn't had the horse I
should have been incapable； and my MOTHER would have captured the
chance to set old Sally up。
O。M。 You were cordially glad you were not caught out and
incapable？
Y。M。 Oh； I just wa
