lay morals-第10节

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ng　　propensity；　some　calling　of　nature；　some　over…weening　　interest　in　any　special　field　of　industry；　inquiry；　or　art；　　he　will　do　right　to　obey　the　impulse；　and　that　for　two　　reasons：　the　first　external；　because　there　he　will　render　the　　best　services；　the　second　personal；　because　a　demand　of　his　　own　nature　is　to　him　without　appeal　whenever　it　can　be　　satisfied　with　the　consent　of　his　other　faculties　and　　appetites。　　If　he　has　no　such　elective　taste；　by　the　very　　principle　on　which　he　chooses　any　pursuit　at　all　he　must　　choose　the　most　honest　and　serviceable；　and　not　the　most　　highly　remunerated。　　We　have　here　an　external　problem；　not　　from　or　to　ourself；　but　flowing　from　the　constitution　of　　society；　and　we　have　our　own　soul　with　its　fixed　design　of　　righteousness。　　All　that　can　be　done　is　to　present　the　　problem　in　proper　terms；　and　leave　it　to　the　soul　of　the　　individual。　　Now；　the　problem　to　the　poor　is　one　of　　necessity：　to　earn　wherewithal　to　live；　they　must　find　　remunerative　labour。　　But　the　problem　to　the　rich　is　one　of　　honour：　having　the　wherewithal；　they　must　find　serviceable　　labour。　　Each　has　to　earn　his　daily　bread：　the　one；　because　　he　has　not　yet　got　it　to　eat；　the　other；　who　has　already　　eaten　it；　because　he　has　not　yet　earned　it。

Of　course；　what　is　true　of　bread　is　true　of　luxuries　and　　comforts；　whether　for　the　body　or　the　mind。　　But　the　　consideration　of　luxuries　leads　us　to　a　new　aspect　of　the　　whole　question；　and　to　a　second　proposition　no　less　true；　and　　maybe　no　less　startling；　than　the　last。

At　the　present　day；　we；　of　the　easier　classes；　are　in　a　state　　of　surfeit　and　disgrace　after　meat。　　Plethora　has　filled　us　　with　indifference；　and　we　are　covered　from　head　to　foot　with　　the　callosities　of　habitual　opulence。　　Born　into　what　is　　called　a　certain　rank；　we　live；　as　the　saying　is；　up　to　our　　station。　　We　squander　without　enjoyment；　because　our　fathers　　squandered。　　We　eat　of　the　best；　not　from　delicacy；　but　from　　brazen　habit。　　We　do　not　keenly　enjoy　or　eagerly　desire　the　　presence　of　a　luxury；　we　are　unaccustomed　to　its　absence。　　　And　not　only　do　we　squander　money　from　habit；　but　still　more　　pitifully　waste　it　in　ostentation。　　I　can　think　of　no　more　　melancholy　disgrace　for　a　creature　who　professes　either　　reason　or　pleasure　for　his　guide；　than　to　spend　the　smallest　　fraction　of　his　income　upon　that　which　he　does　not　desire；　　and　to　keep　a　carriage　in　which　you　do　not　wish　to　drive；　or　　a　butler　of　whom　you　are　afraid；　is　a　pathetic　kind　of　folly。　　　Money；　being　a　means　of　happiness；　should　make　both　parties　　happy　when　it　changes　hands；　rightly　disposed；　it　should　be　　twice　blessed　in　its　employment；　and　buyer　and　seller　should　　alike　have　their　twenty　shillings　worth　of　profit　out　of　　every　pound。　　Benjamin　Franklin　went　through　life　an　altered　　man；　because　he　once　paid　too　dearly　for　a　penny　whistle。　　My　　concern　springs　usually　from　a　deeper　source；　to　wit；　from　　having　bought　a　whistle　when　I　did　not　want　one。　　I　find　I　　regret　this；　or　would　regret　it　if　I　gave　myself　the　time；　　not　only　on　personal　but　on　moral　and　philanthropical　　considerations。　　For；　first；　in　a　world　where　money　is　　wanting　to　buy　books　for　eager　students　and　food　and　medicine　　for　pining　children；　and　where　a　large　majority　are　starved　　in　their　most　immediate　desires；　it　is　surely　base；　stupid；　　and　cruel　to　squander　money　when　I　am　pushed　by　no　appetite　　and　enjoy　no　return　of　genuine　satisfaction。　　My　philanthropy　　is　wide　enough　in　scope　to　include　myself；　and　when　I　have　　made　myself　happy；　I　have　at　least　one　good　argument　that　I　　have　acted　rightly；　but　where　that　is　not　so；　and　I　have　　bought　and　not　enjoyed；　my　mouth　is　closed；　and　I　conceive　　that　I　have　robbed　the　poor。　　And；　second；　anything　I　buy　or　　use　which　I　do　not　sincerely　want　or　cannot　vividly　enjoy；　　disturbs　the　balance　of　supply　and　demand；　and　contributes　to　　remove　industrious　hands　from　the　production　of　what　is　　useful　or　pleasurable　and　to　keep　them　busy　upon　ropes　of　　sand　and　things　that　are　a　weariness　to　the　flesh。　　That　　extravagance　is　truly　sinful；　and　a　very　silly　sin　to　boot；　　in　which　we　impoverish　mankind　and　ourselves。　　It　is　another　　question　for　each　man's　heart。　　He　knows　if　he　can　enjoy　what　　he　buys　and　uses；　if　he　cannot；　he　is　a　dog　in　the　manger；　　nay；　it　he　cannot；　I　contend　he　is　a　thief；　for　nothing　　really　belongs　to　a　man　which　he　cannot　use。　　Proprietor　is　　connected　with　propriety；　and　that　only　is　the　man's　which　is　　proper　to　his　wants　and　faculties。

A　youth；　in　choosing　a　career；　must　not　be　alarmed　by　　poverty。　　Want　is　a　sore　thing；　but　poverty　does　not　imply　　want。　　It　remains　to　be　seen　whether　with　half　his　present　　income；　or　a　third；　he　cannot；　in　the　most　generous　sense；　　live　as　fully　as　at　present。　　He　is　a　fool　who　objects　to　　luxuries；　but　he　is　also　a　fool　who　does　not　protest　against　　the　waste　of　luxuries　on　those　who　do　not　desire　and　cannot　　enjoy　them。　　It　remains　to　be　seen；　by　each　man　who　would　　live　a　true　life　to　himself　and　not　a　merely　specious　life　to　　society；　how　many　luxuries　he　truly　wants　and　to　how　many　he　　merely　submits　as　to　a　social　propriety；　and　all　these　last　　he　will　immediately　forswear。　　Let　him　do　this；　and　he　will　　be　surprised　to　find　how　little　money　it　requires　to　keep　him　　in　complete　contentment　and　activity　of　mind　and　senses。　　　Life　at　any　level　among　the　easy　classes　is　conceived　upon　a　　principle　of　rivalry；　where　each　man　and　each　household　must　　ape　the　tastes　and　emulate　the　display　of　others。　　One　is　　delicate　in　eating；　another　in　wine；　a　third　in　furniture　or　　works　of　art　or　dress；　and　I；　who　care　nothing　for　any　of　　these　refinements；　who　am　perhaps　a　plain　athletic　creature　　and　love　exercise；　beef；　beer；　flannel　shirts　and　a　camp　bed；　　am　yet　called　upon　to　assimilate　all　these　other　tastes　and　　make　these　foreign　occasions　of　expenditure　my　own。　　It　may　　be　cynical：　I　am　sure　I　shall　be　told　it　is　selfish；　but　I　　will　spend　my　money　as　I　please　and　for　my　own　intimate　　personal　gratification；　and　should　count　myself　a　nincompoop　　indeed　to　lay　out　the　colour　of　a　halfpenny　on　any　fancied　　social　decency　or　duty。　　I　shall　not　wear　gloves　unless　my　　hands　are　cold；　or　unless　I　am　born　with　a　delight　in　them。　　　Dress　is　my　own　affair；　and　that　of　one　other　in　the　world；　　that；　in　fact　and　for　an　obvious　reason；　of　any　woman　who　　shall　chance　to　be　in　love　with　me。　　I　shall　lodge　where　I　　have　a　mind。　　If　I　do　not　ask　society　to　live　with　me；　they　　must　be　silent；　and　even　if　I　do；　they　have　no　further　right　　but　to　refuse　the　invitation！　　There　is　a　kind　of　idea　abroad　　that　a　man　must　live　up　to　his　station；　that　his　house；　his　　table；　and　his　toilette；　shall　be　in　a　ratio　of　equivalence；　　and　equally　imposing　to　the　world。　　If　this　is　in　the　Bible；　　the　passage　has　eluded　my　inquiries。　　If　it　is　not　in　the　　Bible；　it　is　nowhere　but　in　the　heart　of　the　fool。　　Throw　　aside　this　fancy。　　See　what　you　want；　and　spend　upon　that；　　distinguish　what　you　do　not　care　about；　and　spend　nothing　　upon　that。　　There　are　not　many　people　who　can　differentiate　　wines　above　a　certain　and　that　not　at　all　a　high　price。　　Are　　you　sure　you　are　one　of　these？　　Are　you　sure　you　prefer　　cigars　at　sixpence　each　to　pipes　at　some　fraction　of　a　　farthing？　　Are　you　sure　you　wish　to　keep　a　gig？　　Do　you　care　　about　where　you　sleep；　or　are　you　not　as　much　at　your　ease　in　　a　cheap　lodging　as　in　an　Elizabethan　manor…house？　　Do　you　　enjoy　fine　clothes？　　It　is　not　possible　to　answer　these　　questions　without　a　trial；　and　there　is　nothing　more　obvious　　to　my　mind；　than　that　a　man　who　has　not　experienced　some　ups　　and　downs；　and　been　forced　to　live　more　cheaply　than　in　his　　father's　house；　has　still　his　education　to　begin。　　Let　the　　experiment　be　made；　and　he　will　find　to　his　surprise　that　he　　has　been　eating　beyond　his　appetite　up　to　that　hour；　that　the　　cheap　lodging；　the　cheap　tobacco；　the　rough　country　clothes；　　the　plain　table；　have　not　only　no　power　to　damp　his　spirits；　　but　perhaps　give　him　as　keen　pleasure　in　the　using　as　the　　dainties　that　he　took；　betwixt　sleep　and　waking；　in　his　　former　callous　and　somnambulous　submission　to　wealth。

The　true　Bohemian；　a　creature　lost　to　view　under　the　　imaginary　Bohemians　of　literature；　is　exactly　described　by　　such　a　principle　of　life。　　The　Bohemian　of　the　novel；　who　　drinks　more　than　is　good　for　him　and　prefers　anything　to　　work；　and　wears　strange　clothes；　is　for　the　most　part　a　　respectable　Bohemian；　respectable　in　disrespectability；　　living　for　the　outside；　and　an　adventurer。　　But　the　man　I　　mean　lives　wholly　to　himself；　does　what　he　wishes；　and　not　　what　is　thought　proper；　buys　what　he　wants　for　himself；　and　　not　what　is　thought　proper；　works　at　what　he　believes　he　can　　do　well　and　not　what　will　bring　him　in　money　or　favour。　　You　　may　be　the　most　respectable　of　men；　and　yet　a　true　Bohemian。　　　And　the　test　is　this：　a　Bohemian；　for　as　poor　as　he　may　be；　　is　always　open…handed　to　his　friends；　he　knows　what　he　can　do　　with　money　and　how　he　can　do　without　it；　a　far　rarer　and　more　　useful　knowledge；　he　has　had　less；　and　continued　to　live　in　　some　contentment；　and　hence　he　cares　not　to　keep　more；　and　　shares　his　sovereign　or　his　shilling　with　a　friend