tea-table talk-第11节

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vices。　　Woman　is　the　spoilt　child　of　the　age。　　No　one　tells　her　of　her　faults。　　The　World　with　its　thousand　voices　flatters　her。　Sulks；　bad　temper；　and　pig…headed　obstinacy　are　translated　as　'pretty　Fanny's　wilful　ways。'　　Cowardice；　contemptible　in　man　or　woman；　she　is　encouraged　to　cultivate　as　a　charm。　　Incompetence　to　pack　her　own　bag　or　find　her　own　way　across　a　square　and　round　a　corner　is　deemed　an　attraction。　　Abnormal　ignorance　and　dense　stupidity　entitle　her　to　pose　as　the　poetical　ideal。　　If　she　give　a　penny　to　a　street　beggar；　selecting　generally　the　fraud；　or　kiss　a　puppy's　nose；　we　exhaust　the　language　of　eulogy；　proclaiming　her　a　saint。　　The　marvel　to　me　is　that；　in　spite　of　the　folly　upon　which　they　are　fed；　so　many　of　them　grow　to　be　sensible　women。〃

〃Myself；〃　remarked　the　Minor　Poet；　〃I　find　much　comfort　in　the　conviction　that　talk；　as　talk；　is　responsible　for　much　less　good　and　much　less　harm　in　the　world　than　we　who　talk　are　apt　to　imagine。　Words　to　grow　and　bear　fruit　must　fall　upon　the　earth　of　fact。〃

〃But　you　hold　it　right　to　fight　against　folly？〃　demanded　the　Philosopher。

〃Heavens；　yes！〃　cried　the　Minor　Poet。　　〃That　is　how　one　knows　it　is　Follyif　we　can　kill　it。　　Against　the　Truth　our　arrows　rattle　harmlessly。〃



CHAPTER　VI



〃But　what　is　her　reason？〃　demanded　the　Old　Maid。

〃Reason！　　I　don't　believe　any　of　them　have　any　reason。〃　　The　Woman　of　the　World　showed　sign　of　being　short　of　temper；　a　condition　of　affairs　startlingly　unusual　to　her。　　〃Says　she　hasn't　enough　work　to　do。〃

〃She　must　be　an　extraordinary　woman；〃　commented　the　Old　Maid。

〃The　trouble　I　have　put　myself　to　in　order　to　keep　that　woman；　just　because　George　likes　her　savouries；　no　one　would　believe；〃　continued　indignantly　the　Woman　of　the　World。　　〃We　have　had　a　dinner　party　regularly　once　a　week　for　the　last　six　months；　entirely　for　her　benefit。　　Now　she　wants　me　to　give　two。　　I　won't　do　it！〃

〃If　I　could　be　of　any　service？〃　offered　the　Minor　Poet。　　〃My　digestion　is　not　what　it　once　was；　but　I　could　make　up　in　qualitya　recherche　little　banquet　twice　a　week；　say　on　Wednesdays　and　Saturdays；　I　would　make　a　point　of　eating　with　you。　　If　you　think　that　would　content　her！〃

〃It　is　really　thoughtful　of　you；〃　replied　the　Woman　of　the　World；　〃but　I　cannot　permit　it。　　Why　should　you　be　dragged　from　the　simple　repast　suitable　to　a　poet　merely　to　oblige　my　cook？　　It　is　not　reason。〃

〃I　was　thinking　rather　of　you；〃　continued　the　Minor　Poet。

〃I've　half　a　mind；〃　said　the　Woman　of　the　World；　〃to　give　up　housekeeping　altogether　and　go　into　an　hotel。　　I　don't　like　the　idea；　but　really　servants　are　becoming　impossible。〃

〃It　is　very　interesting；〃　said　the　Minor　Poet。

〃I　am　glad　you　find　it　so！〃　snapped　the　Woman　of　the　World。

〃What　is　interesting？〃　I　asked　the　Minor　Poet。

〃That　the　tendency　of　the　age；〃　he　replied；　〃should　be　slowly　but　surely　driving　us　into　the　practical　adoption　of　a　social　state　that　for　years　we　have　been　denouncing　the　Socialists　for　merely　suggesting。　　Everywhere　the　public…houses　are　multiplying；　the　private　dwellings　diminishing。〃

〃Can　you　wonder　at　it？〃　commented　the　Woman　of　the　World。　　〃You　men　talk　about　'the　joys　of　home。'　　Some　of　you　write　poetrygenerally　speaking；　one　of　you　who　lives　in　chambers；　and　spends　two…thirds　of　his　day　at　a　club。〃　　We　were　sitting　in　the　garden。　　The　attention　of　the　Minor　Poet　became　riveted　upon　the　sunset。　　〃'Ethel　and　I　by　the　fire。'　　Ethel　never　gets　a　chance　of　sitting　by　the　fire。　　So　long　as　you　are　there；　comfortable；　you　do　not　notice　that　she　has　left　the　room　to　demand　explanation　why　the　drawing…room　scuttle　is　always　filled　with　slack；　and　the　best　coal　burnt　in　the　kitchen　range。　　Home　to　us　women　is　our　place　of　business　that　we　never　get　away　from。〃

〃I　suppose；〃　said　the　Girton　Girlto　my　surprise　she　spoke　with　entire　absence　of　indignation。　　As　a　rule；　the　Girton　Girl　stands　for　what　has　been　termed　〃divine　discontent〃　with　things　in　general。　In　the　course　of　time　she　will　outlive　her　surprise　at　finding　the　world　so　much　less　satisfactory　an　abode　than　she　had　been　led　to　supposealso　her　present　firm　conviction　that；　given　a　free　hand；　she　could　put　the　whole　thing　right　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　There　are　times　even　now　when　her　tone　suggests　less　certainty　of　her　being　the　first　person　who　has　ever　thought　seriously　about　the　matter。　　〃I　suppose；〃　said　the　Girton　Girl；　〃it　comes　of　education。　Our　grandmothers　were　content　to　fill　their　lives　with　these　small　household　duties。　　They　rose　early；　worked　with　their　servants；　saw　to　everything　with　their　own　eyes。　　Nowadays　we　demand　time　for　self…development；　for　reading；　for　thinking；　for　pleasure。　Household　drudgery；　instead　of　being　the　object　of　our　life；　has　become　an　interference　to　it。　　We　resent　it。〃

〃The　present　revolt　of　woman；〃　continued　the　Minor　Poet；　〃will　be　looked　back　upon　by　the　historian　of　the　future　as　one　of　the　chief　factors　in　our　social　evolution。　　The　'home'the　praises　of　which　we　still　sing；　but　with　gathering　misgivingdepended　on　her　willingness　to　live　a　life　of　practical　slavery。　　When　Adam　delved　and　Eve　spanAdam　confining　his　delving　to　the　space　within　his　own　fence；　Eve　staying　her　spinning…wheel　the　instant　the　family　hosiery　was　completethen　the　home　rested　upon　the　solid　basis　of　an　actual　fact。　　Its　foundations　were　shaken　when　the　man　became　a　citizen　and　his　interests　expanded　beyond　the　domestic　circle。　　Since　that　moment　woman　alone　has　supported　the　institution。　　Now　she；　in　her　turn；　is　claiming　the　right　to　enter　the　community；　to　escape　from　the　solitary　confinement　of　the　lover's　castle。　　The　'mansions；'　with　common　dining…rooms；　reading…rooms；　their　system　of　common　service；　are　springing　up　in　every　quarter；　the　house；　the　villa；　is　disappearing。　　The　story　is　the　same　in　every　country。　　The　separate　dwelling；　where　it　remains；　is　being　absorbed　into　a　system。　　In　America；　the　experimental　laboratory　of　the　future；　the　houses　are　warmed　from　a　common　furnace。　　You　do　not　light　the　fire；　you　turn　on　the　hot　air。　　Your　dinner　is　brought　round　to　you　in　a　travelling　oven。　　You　subscribe　for　your　valet　or　your　lady's　maid。　　Very　soon　the　private　establishment；　with　its　staff　of　unorganised；　quarrelling　servants；　of　necessity　either　over　or　underworked；　will　be　as　extinct　as　the　lake　dwelling　or　the　sandstone　cave。〃

〃I　hope；〃　said　the　Woman　of　the　World；　〃that　I　may　live　to　see　it。〃

〃In　all　probability；〃　replied　the　Minor　Poet；　〃you　will。　　I　would　I　could　feel　as　hopeful　for　myself。〃

〃If　your　prophecy　be　likely　of　fulfilment；〃　remarked　the　Philosopher；　〃I　console　myself　with　the　reflection　that　I　am　the　oldest　of　the　party。　　Myself；　I　never　read　these　full　and　exhaustive　reports　of　the　next　century　without　revelling　in　the　reflection　that　before　they　can　be　achieved　I　shall　be　dead　and　buried。　　It　may　be　a　selfish　attitude；　but　I　should　be　quite　unable　to　face　any　of　the　machine…made　futures　our　growing　guild　of　seers　prognosticate。　　You　appear　to　me；　most　of　you；　to　ignore　a　somewhat　important　considerationnamely；　that　mankind　is　alive。　　You　work　out　your　answers　as　if　he　were　a　sum　in　rule…of…three：　　'If　man　in　so　many　thousands　of　years　has　done　so　much　in　such　a　direction　at　this　or　that　rate　of　speed；　what　will　he　be　doing？'　and　so　on。　　You　forget　he　is　swayed　by　impulses　that　can　enter　into　no　calculationdrawn　hither　and　thither　by　powers　that　can　never　be　represented　in　your　algebra。　　In　one　generation　Christianity　reduced　Plato's　republic　to　an　absurdity。　　The　printing…press　has　upset　the　unanswerable　conclusions　of　Machiavelli。〃

〃I　disagree　with　you；〃　said　the　Minor　Poet。

〃The　fact　does　not　convince　me　of　my　error；〃　retorted　the　Philosopher。

〃Christianity；〃　continued　the　Minor　Poet；　〃gave　merely　an　added　force　to　impulses　the　germs　of　which　were　present　in　the　infant　race。　　The　printing…press；　teaching　us　to　think　in　communities；　has　nonplussed　to　a　certain　extent　the　aims　of　the　individual　as　opposed　to　those　of　humanity。　　Without　prejudice；　without　sentiment；　cast　your　eye　back　over　the　panorama　of　the　human　race。　　What　is　the　picture　that　presents　itself？　　Scattered　here　and　there　over　the　wild；　voiceless　desert；　first　the　holes　and　caves；　next　the　rude…　built　huts；　the　wigwams；　the　lake　dwellings　of　primitive　man。　Lonely；　solitary；　followed　by　his　dam　and　brood；　he　creeps　through　the　tall　grass；　ever　with　watchful；　terror…haunted　eyes；　satisfies　his　few　desires；　communicates；　by　means　of　a　few　grunts　and　signs；　his　tiny　store　of　knowledge　to　his　offspring；　then；　crawling　beneath　a　stone；　or　into　some　tangled　corner　of　the　jungle；　dies　and　disappears。　　We　look　again。　　A　thousand　centuries　have　flashed　and　faded。　　The　surface　of　the　earth　is　flecked　with　strange　quivering　patches：　　here；　where　the　sun　shines　on　the　wood　and　sea；　close　together；　almost　touching　one　another；　there；　among　the　shadows；　far　apart。　　The　Tribe　has　formed　itself。　　The　whole　tiny　mass　moves　forward；　halts；　runs　backwards；　stirred　always　by　one　common　impulse。　　Man　has　learnt　the　secret　of　combination；　of　mutual　help。　The　City　rises。　　From　its　stone　centre　spreads　its　power；　the　Nation　leaps　to　life；　civilisation　springs　from　leisure；　no　longe