a new view of society-第6部分

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rt　even　of　such　individuals　to　reside　at　the　village；　and；　when　taught　the　business；　they　grew　so　valuable　to　the　establishment；　that　they　became　agents　not　to　be　governed　contrary　to　their　own　inclinations。　　　　　Mr　Dale's　principal　avocations　were　at　a　distance　from　the　works；　which　he　seldom　visited　more　than　once　for　a　few　hours　in　three　or　four　months；　he　was　therefore　under　the　necessity　of　committing　the　management　of　the　establishment　to　various　servants　with　more　or　less　power。　　　　　Those　who　have　a　practical　knowledge　of　mankind　will　readily　anticipate　the　character　which　a　population　so　collected　and　constituted　would　acquire。　It　is　therefore　scarcely　necessary　to　state；　that　the　community　by　degrees　was　formed　under　these　circumstances　into　a　very　wretched　society。。　every　man　did　that　which　was　right　in　his　own　eyes；　and　vice　and　immorality　prevailed　to　a　monstrous　extent。　The　population　lived　in　idleness；　in　poverty；　in　almost　every　kind　of　crime；　consequently；　in　debt；　out　of　health；　and　in　misery。　Yet　to　make　matters　still　worse　although　the　cause　proceeded　from　the　best　possible　motive；　a　conscientious　adherence　to　principle　the　whole　was　under　a　strong　sectarian　influence；　which　gave　a　marked　and　decided　preference　to　one　set　of　religious　opinions　over　all　others；　and　the　professors　of　the　favoured　opinions　were　the　privileged　of　the　community。　　　　　The　boarding…house　containing　the　children　presented　a　very　different　scene。　The　benevolent　proprietor　spared　no　expense　to　give　comfort　to　the　poor　children。　The　rooms　provided　for　them　were　spacious；　always　clean；　and　well　ventilated；　the　food　was　abundant；　and　of　the　best　quality；　the　clothes　were　neat　and　useful；　a　surgeon　was　kept　in　constant　pay；　to　direct　how　to　prevent　or　cure　disease；　and　the　best　instructors　which　the　country　afforded　were　appointed　to　teach　such　branches　of　education　as　were　deemed　likely　to　be　useful　to　children　in　their　situation。　Kind　and　well…disposed　persons　were　appointed　to　superintend　all　their　proceedings。　Nothing；　in　short；　at　first　sight　seemed　wanting　to　render　it　a　most　complete　charity。　　　　　But　to　defray　the　expense　of　these　well…devised　arrangements；　and　to　support　the　establishment　generally；　it　was　absolutely　necessary　that　the　children　should　be　employed　within　the　mills　from　six　o'clock　in　the　morning　till　seven　in　the　evening；　summer　and　winter；　and　after　these　hours　their　education　commenced。　The　directors　of　the　public　charities；　from　mistaken　economy；　would　not　consent　to　send　the　children　under　their　care　to　cotton　mills；　unless　the　children　were　received　by　the　proprietors　at　the　ages　of　six；　seven　and　eight。　And　Mr　Dale　was　under　the　necessity　of　accepting　them　at　those　ages；　or　of　stopping　the　manufactory　which　he　had　commenced。　　　　　It　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　children　so　young　could　remain；　with　the　intervals　of　meals　only；　from　six　in　the　morning　until　seven　in　the　evening；　in　constant　employment；　on　their　feet；　within　cotton　mills；　and　afterwards　acquire　much　proficiency　in　education。　And　so　it　proved；　for　many　of　them　became　dwarfs　in　body　and　mind；　and　some　of　them　were　deformed。　Their　labour　through　the　day　and　their　education　at　night　became　so　irksome；　that　numbers　of　them　continually　ran　away；　and　almost　all　looked　forward　with　impatience　and　anxiety　to　the　expiration　of　their　apprenticeship　of　seven；　eight；　and　nine　years；　which　generally　expired　when　they　were　from　thirteen　to　fifteen　years　old。　At　this　period　of　life；　unaccustomed　to　provide　for　themselves；　and　unacquainted　with　the　world；　they　usually　went　to　Edinburgh　or　Glasgow；　where　boys　and　girls　were　soon　assailed　by　the　innumerable　temptations　which　all　large　towns　present；　and　to　which　many　of　them　fell　sacrifices。　　　　　Thus　Mr　Dale's　arrangements；　and　his　kind　solicitude　for　the　comfort　and　happiness　of　these　children；　were　rendered　in　their　ultimate　effect　almost　nugatory。　They　were　hired　by　him　and　sent　to　be　employed；　and　without　their　labour　he　could　not　support　them；　but；　while　under　his　care；　he　did　all　that　any　individual；　circumstanced　as　he　was；　could　do　for　his　fellow　creatures。　The　error　proceeded　from　the　children　being　sent　from　the　workhouses　at　an　age　much　too　young　for　employment。　They　ought　to　have　been　detained　four　years　longer；　and　educated；　and　then　some　of　the　evils　which　followed　would　have　been　prevented。　　　　　If　such　be　a　true　picture；　not　overcharged；　of　parish　apprentices　to　our　manufacturing　system；　under　the　best　and　most　humane　regulations；　in　what　colours　must　it　be　exhibited　under　the　worst？　　　　　Mr　Dale　was　advancing　in　years：　he　had　no　son　to　succeed　him；　and；　finding　the　consequences　just　described　to　be　the　result　of　all　his　strenuous　exertions　for　the　improvement　and　happiness　of　his　fellow　creatures；　it　is　not　surprising　that　he　became　disposed　to　retire　from　the　cares　of　the　establishment。　He　accordingly　sold　it　to　some　English　merchants　and　manufacturers；　one　of　whom；　under　the　circumstances　just　narrated；　undertook　the　management　of　the　concern；　and　fixed　his　residence　in　the　midst　of　the　population。　This　individual　had　been　previously　in　the　management　of　large　establishments；　employing　a　number　of　workpeople；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Manchester；　and；　in　every　case；　by　the　steady　application　of　certain　general　principles；　he　succeeded　in　reforming　the　habits　of　those　under　his　care；　and　who　always；　among　their　associates　in　similar　employment；　appeared　conspicuous　for　their　good　conduct。　With　this　previous　success　in　remodelling　English　character；　but　ignorant　of　the　local　ideas；　manners；　and　customs；　of　those　now　committed　to　his　management；　the　stranger　commenced　his　task。　　　　　At　that　time　the　lower　classes　of　Scotland；　like　those　of　other　countries；　had　strong　prejudices　against　strangers　having　any　authority　over　them；　and　particularly　against　the　English；　few　of　whom　had　then　settled　in　Scotland；　and　not　one　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　scenes　under　description。　It　is　also　well　known　that　even　the　Scotch　peasantry　and　working　classes　possess　the　habit　of　making　observations　and　reasoning　thereon　with　great　acuteness；　and　in　the　present　case　those　employed　naturally　concluded　that　the　new　purchasers　intended　merely　to　make　the　utmost　profit　by　the　establishment；　from　the　abuses　of　which　many　of　themselves　were　then　deriving　support。　The　persons　employed　at　these　works　were　therefore　strongly　prejudiced　against　the　new　director　of　the　establishment　prejudiced；　because　he　was　a　stranger；　and　from　England　…　because　he　succeeded　Mr　Dale；　under　whose　proprietorship　they　acted　almost　as　they　liked　because　his　religious　creed　was　not　theirs　…　and　because　they　concluded　that　the　works　would　be　governed　by　new　laws　and　regulations；　calculated　to　squeeze；　as　they　often　termed　it；　the　greatest　sum　of　gain　out　of　their　labour。　　　　　In　consequence；　from　the　day　he　arrived　amongst　them　every　means　which　ingenuity　could　devise　was　set　to　work　to　counteract　the　plan　which　he　attempted　to　introduce；　and　for　two　years　it　was　a　regular　attack　and　defence　of　prejudices　and　malpractices　between　the　manager　and　the　population　of　the　place；　without　the　former　being　able　to　make　much　progress；　or　to　convince　the　latter　of　the　sincerity　of　his　good　intentions　for　their　welfare。　He；　however；　did　not　lose　his　patience；　his　temper；　or　his　confidence　in　the　certain　success　of　the　principles　on　which　he　founded　his　conduct。　　　　　These　principles　ultimately　prevailed：　the　population　could　not　continue　to　resist　a　firm　well…directed　kindness；　administering　justice　to　all。　They　therefore　slowly　and　cautiously　began　to　give　him　some　portion　of　their　confidence；　and　as　this　increased；　he　was　enabled　more　and　more　to　develop　his　plans　for　their　amelioration。　It　may　with　truth　be　said；　that　at　this　period　they　possessed　almost　all　the　vices　and　very　few　of　the　virtues　of　a　social　community。　Theft　and　the　receipt　of　stolen　goods　was　their　trade；　idleness　and　drunkenness　their　habit；　falsehood　and　deception　their　garb；　dissensions；　civil　and　religious；　their　daily　practice；　they　united　only　in　a　zealous　systematic　opposition　to　their　employers。　　　　　Here　then　was　a　fair　field　on　which　to　try　the　efficacy　in　practice　of　principles　supposed　capable　of　altering　any　characters。　The　manager　formed　his　plans　accordingly。　He　spent　some　time　in　finding　out　the　full　extent　of　the　evil　against　which　he　had　to　contend；　and　in　tracing　the　true　causes　which　had　produced　and　were　continuing　those　effects。　He　found　that　all　was　distrust；　disorder；　and　disunion；　and　he　wished　to　introduce　confidence；　regularity；　and　harmony。　He　therefore　began　to　bring　forward　his　various　expedients　to　withdraw　the　unfavourable　circumstances　by　which　they　had　hitherto　been　surrounded；　and　to　replace　them　by　others　calculated　to　produce　a　more　happy　result。　He　soon　discovered　that　theft　was　extended　through　almost　all　the　ramifications　of　the　community；　and　the　receipt　of　stolen　goods　through　all　the　country　around。　To　remedy　this　evil；　not　one　legal　punishment　was　inflicted；　not　one　individual　imprisoned；　even　for　an　hour；　but　checks　and　other　regulations　of　prevention　were　introduced；　a　short　plain　explanation　of　the　immediate　benefits　they　would　derive　from　a　different　conduct　was　inculcated　by　those　instructed　for　the　purpose；　who　had　the　best　powers　of　reasoning　among　themselves。　They　were　at　the　same　time　instructed　how　to　direct　their　industry　in　legal　and　useful　occupations；　by　which；　without　danger　or　disgrace；　they　could　really　earn　more　than　they　had　previously　obtained　by　dishonest　practices。　Thus　the　difficulty　of　committing　the　crime　was　increased；　the　detection　afterwards　rendered　more　easy；　the　habit　of　honest　industry　formed；　and　the　pleasure　of　good　conduct　experienced。　　　　　Drunkenness　was　attacked　in　the　same　manner；　it　was　discountenanced　on　every　occasion　by　those　who　had　charge　of　any　department：　its　destructive　and　pernicious　effects　were　frequently　stated　by　his　own　more　prudent　comrades；　at　the　proper　moment　when　the　individual　was　soberly　suffering　from　the　effects　of　his　previous　excess；　pot…　and　public…houses　were　gradually　removed　from　the　immediate　vicinity　of　their　dwellings；　the　health　and　comfort　of　temperance　were　made　familiar　to　them；　by　degrees　drunkennes