a treatise on parents and children-第15部分

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they　complain　of　harsh　treatment。　　Gratuities　are　voted；　indulgences

and　holidays　are　pleaded　for；　delinquencies　are　excused　in　the　most

sentimental　manner　provided　only　the　employee；　however　patent　a

hypocrite　or　incorrigible　a　slacker；　is　hat　in　hand。　　But　let　the　most

obvious　measure　of　justice　be　demanded　by　the　secretary　of　a　Trade

Union　in　terms　which　omit　all　expressions　of　subservience；　and　it　is

with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　the　cooler…headed　can　defeat　angry

motions　that　the　letter　be　thrown　into　the　waste　paper　basket　and　the

committee　proceed　to　the　next　business。







The　Demagogue's　Opportunity



And　the　employee　has　in　him　the　same　fierce　impulse　to　impose　his　will

without　respect　for　the　will　of　others。　　Democracy　is　in　practice

nothing　but　a　device　for　cajoling　from　him　the　vote　he　refuses　to

arbitrary　authority。　　He　will　not　vote　for　Coriolanus；　but　when　an

experienced　demagogue　comes　along　and　says；　〃Sir：　　_you_　are　the

dictator：　　the　voice　of　the　people　is　the　voice　of　God；　and　I　am　only

your　very　humble　servant；〃　he　says　at　once；　〃All　right：　　tell　me　what

to　dictate；〃　and　is　presently　enslaved　more　effectually　with　his　own

silly　consent　than　Coriolanus　would　ever　have　enslaved　him　without

asking　his　leave。　　And　the　trick　by　which　the　demagogue　defeats

Coriolanus　is　played　on　him　in　his　turn　by　_his_　inferiors。

Everywhere　we　see　the　cunning　succeeding　in　the　world　by　seeking　a

rich　or　powerful　master　and　practising　on　his　lust　for　subservience。

The　political　adventurer　who　gets　into　parliament　by　offering　himself

to　the　poor　voter；　not　as　his　representative　but　as　his　will…less

soulless　〃delegate；〃　is　himself　the　dupe　of　a　clever　wife　who

repudiates　Votes　for　Women；　knowing　well　that　whilst　the　man　is

master；　the　man's　mistress　will　rule。　　Uriah　Heep　may　be　a　crawling

creature；　but　his　crawling　takes　him　upstairs。



Thus　does　the　selfishness　of　the　will　turn　on　itself；　and　obtain　by

flattery　what　it　cannot　seize　by　open　force。　　Democracy　becomes　the

latest　trick　of　tyranny：　　〃womanliness〃　becomes　the　latest　wile　of

prostitution。



Between　parent　and　child　the　same　conflict　wages　and　the　same

destruction　of　character　ensues。　　Parents　set　themselves　to　bend　the

will　of　their　children　to　their　ownto　break　their　stubborn　spirit；

as　they　call　itwith　the　ruthlessness　of　Grand　Inquisitors。　　Cunning；

unscrupulous　children　learn　all　the　arts　of　the　sneak　in　circumventing

tyranny：　　children　of　better　character　are　cruelly　distressed　and　more

or　less　lamed　for　life　by　it。







Our　Quarrelsomeness



As　between　adults；　we　find　a　general　quarrelsomeness　which　makes

political　reform　as　impossible　to　most　Englishmen　as　to　hogs。　　Certain

sections　of　the　nation　get　cured　of　this　disability。　　University　men；

sailors；　and　politicians　are　comparatively　free　from　it；　because　the

communal　life　of　the　University；　the　fact　that　in　a　ship　a　man　must

either　learn　to　consider　others　or　else　go　overboard　or　into　irons；

and　the　habit　of　working　on　committees　and　ceasing　to　expect　more　of

one's　own　way　than　is　included　in　the　greatest　common　measure　of　the

committee；　educate　the　will　socially。　　But　no　one　who　has　ever　had　to

guide　a　committee　of　ordinary　private　Englishmen　through　their　first

attempts　at　collective　action；　in　committee　or　otherwise；　can　retain

any　illusions　as　to　the　appalling　effects　on　our　national　manners　and

character　of　the　organization　of　the　home　and　the　school　as　petty

tyrannies；　and　the　absence　of　all　teaching　of　self…respect　and

training　in　self…assertion。　　Bullied　and　ordered　about；　the　Englishman

obeys　like　a　sheep；　evades　like　a　knave；　or　tries　to　murder　his

oppressor。　　Merely　criticized　or　opposed　in　committee；　or　invited　to

consider　anybody's　views　but　his　own；　he　feels　personally　insulted　and

wants　to　resign　or　leave　the　room　unless　he　is　apologized　to。　　And　his

panic　and　bewilderment　when　he　sees　that　the　older　hands　at　the　work

have　no　patience　with　him　and　do　not　intend　to　treat　him　as

infallible；　are　pitiable　as　far　as　they　are　anything　but　ludicrous。

That　is　what　comes　of　not　being　taught　to　consider　other　people's

wills；　and　left　to　submit　to　them　or　to　over…ride　them　as　if　they　were

the　winds　and　the　weather。　　Such　a　state　of　mind　is　incompatible　not

only　with　the　democratic　introduction　of　high　civilization；　but　with

the　comprehension　and　maintenance　of　such　civilized　institutions　as

have　been　introduced　by　benevolent　and　intelligent　despots　and

aristocrats。







We　Must　Reform　Society　before　we　can　Reform　Ourselves



When　we　come　to　the　positive　problem　of　what　to　do　with　children　if　we

are　to　give　up　the　established　plan；　we　find　the　difficulties　so　great

that　we　begin　to　understand　why　so　many　people　who　detest　the　system

and　look　back　with　loathing　on　their　own　schooldays；　must　helplessly

send　their　children　to　the　very　schools　they　themselves　were　sent　to；

because　there　is　no　alternative　except　abandoning　the　children　to

undisciplined　vagabondism。　　Man　in　society　must　do　as　everybody　else

does　in　his　class：　　only　fools　and　romantic　novices　imagine　that

freedom　is　a　mere　matter　of　the　readiness　of　the　individual　to　snap

his　fingers　at　convention。　　It　is　true　that　most　of　us　live　in　a

condition　of　quite　unnecessary　inhibition；　wearing　ugly　and

uncomfortable　clothes；　making　ourselves　and　other　people　miserable　by

the　heathen　horrors　of　mourning；　staying　away　from　the　theatre　because

we　cannot　afford　the　stalls　and　are　ashamed　to　go　to　the　pit；　and　in

dozens　of　other　ways　enslaving　ourselves　when　there　are　comfortable

alternatives　open　to　us　without　any　real　drawbacks。　　The　contemplation

of　these　petty　slaveries；　and　of　the　triumphant　ease　with　which

sensible　people　throw　them　off；　creates　an　impression　that　if　we　only

take　Johnson's　advice　to　free　our　minds　from　cant；　we　can　achieve

freedom。　　But　if　we　all　freed　our　minds　from　cant　we　should　find　that

for　the　most　part　we　should　have　to　go　on　doing　the　necessary　work　of

the　world　exactly　as　we　did　it　before　until　we　organized　new　and　free

methods　of　doing　it。　　Many　people　believed　in　secondary　co…education

（boys　and　girls　taught　together）　before　schools　like　Bedales　were

founded：　　indeed　the　practice　was　common　enough　in　elementary　schools

and　in　Scotland；　but　their　belief　did　not　help　them　until　Bedales　and

St　George's　were　organized；　and　there　are　still　not　nearly　enough

co…educational　schools　in　existence　to　accommodate　all　the　children　of

the　parents　who　believe　in　co…education　up　to　university　age；　even　if

they　could　always　afford　the　fees　of　these　exceptional　schools。　　It

may　be　edifying　to　tell　a　duke　that　our　public　schools　are　all　wrong

in　their　constitution　and　methods；　or　a　costermonger　that　children

should　be　treated　as　in　Goethe's　Wilhelm　Meister　instead　of　as　they

are　treated　at　the　elementary　school　at　the　corner　of　his　street；　but

what　are　the　duke　and　the　coster　to　do？　　Neither　of　them　has　any

effective　choice　in　the　matter：　　their　children　must　either　go　to　the

schools　that　are；　or　to　no　school　at　all。　　And　as　the　duke　thinks　with

reason　that　his　son　will　be　a　lout　or　a　milksop　or　a　prig　if　he　does

not　go　to　school；　and　the　coster　knows　that　his　son　will　become　an

illiterate　hooligan　if　he　is　left　to　the　streets；　there　is　no　real

alternative　for　either　of　them。　　Child　life　must　be　socially

organized：　　no　parent；　rich　or　poor；　can　choose　institutions　that　do

not　exist；　and　the　private　enterprise　of　individual　school　masters

appealing　to　a　group　of　well…to…do　parents；　though　it　may　shew　what

can　be　done　by　enthusiasts　with　new　methods；　cannot　touch　the　mass　of

our　children。　　For　the　average　parent　or　child　nothing　is　really

available　except　the　established　practice；　and　this　is　what　makes　it

so　important　that　the　established　practice　should　be　a　sound　one；　and

so　useless　for　clever　individuals　to　disparage　it　unless　they　can

organize　an　alternative　practice　and　make　it；　too；　general。







The　Pursuit　of　Manners



If　you　cross…examine　the　duke　and　the　coster；　you　will　find　that　they

are　not　concerned　for　the　scholastic　attainments　of　their　children。

Ask　the　duke　whether　he　could　pass　the　standard　examination　of

twelve…year…old　children　in　elementary　schools；　and　he　will　admit；

with　an　entirely　placid　smile；　that　he　would　almost　certainly　be

ignominiously　plucked。　　And　he　is　so　little　ashamed　of　or

disadvantaged　by　his　condition　that　he　is　not　prepared　to　spend　an

hour　in　remedying　it。　　The　coster　may　resent　the　inquiry　instead　of

being　amused　by　it；　but　his　answer；　if　true；　will　be　the　same。　　What

they　both　want　for　their　children　is　the　communal　training；　the

apprenticeship　to　society；　the　lessons　in　holding　one's　own　among

people　of　all　sorts　with　whom　one　is　not；　as　in　the　home；　on

privileged　terms。　　These　can　be　acquired　only　by　〃mixing　with　the

world；〃　no　matter　how　wicked　the　world　is。　　No　parent　cares　twopence

whether　his　children　can　write　Latin　hexameters　or　repeat　the　dates　of

the　accession　of　all　the　English　monarchs　since　the　Conqueror；　but　all

parents　are　earnestly　anxious　about　the　manners　of　their　children。

Better　Claude　Duval　than　Kaspar　Hauser。　　Laborers　who　are

contemptuously　anti…clerical　in　their　opinions　will　send　their

daughters　to　the　convent　school　because　the　nuns　teach　them　some　sort

of　gentleness　of　speech　and　behavior。　　And　peers　who　tell　you　that　our

public　schools　are　rotten　through　and　through；　and　that　our

Universities　ought　to　be　razed　to　the　foundations；　send　their　sons　to

Eton　and　Oxford；　Harrow　and　Cambridge；　not　only　because　there　is

nothing　else　to　be　done；　but　because　these　places；　though　they　turn

out　blackguards　and　ignoramuses　and　boobies　galore；　turn　them　out　with

the　habits　and　manners　of　the　society　they　belong　to。　　Bad　as　those

manners　are　in　many　respects；　they　are　better　than　no　manners　at　all。

And　no　individual