in darkest england and the way out-第22部分

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m　or　exaggeration。　　Most　of　the　evidence　upon　which　I　have　relied　is　taken　direct　from　the　official　statistics　supplied　by　the　Government　Returns；　and　as　to　the　rest；　I　can　only　say　that　if　my　figures　are　compared　with　those　of　any　other　writer　upon　this　subject；　it　will　be　found　that　my　estimates　are　the　lowest。　I　am　not　prepared　to　defend　the　exact　accuracy　of　my　calculations；　excepting　so　far　as　they　constitute　the　minimum。　　To　those　who　believe　that　the　numbers　of　the　wretched　are　far　in　excess　of　my　figures；　I　have　nothing　to　say；　excepting　this；　that　if　the　evil　is　so　much　greater　than　I　have　described；　then　let　your　efforts　be　proportioned　to　your　estimate；　not　to　mine。　　The　great　point　with　each　of　us　is；　not　how　many　of　the　wretched　exist　to…day；　but　how　few　shall　there　exist　in　the　years　that　are　to　come。

The　dark　and　dismal　jungle　of　pauperism；　vice；　and　despair　is　the　inheritance　to　which　we　have　succeeded　from　the　generations　and　centuries　past；　during　which　wars；　insurrections；　and　internal　troubles　left　our　forefathers　small　leisure　to　attend　to　the　well…being　of　the　sunken　tenth。　　Now　that　we　have　happened　upon　more　fortunate　times；　let　us　recognise　that　we　are　our　brother's　keepers；　and　set　to　work；　regardless　of　party　distinctions　and　religious　differences；　to　make　this　world　of　ours　a　little　bit　more　like　home　for　those　whom　we　call　our　brethren。

The　problem；　it　must　be　admitted；　is　by　no　means　a　simple　one；　nor　can　anyone　accuse　me　in　the　foregoing　pages　of　having　minimised　the　difficulties　which　heredity；　habit；　and　surroundings　place　in　the　way　of　its　solution；　but　unless　we　are　prepared　to　fold　our　arms　in　selfish　ease　and　say　that　nothing　can　be　done；　and　thereby　doom　those　lost　millions　to　remediless　perdition　in　this　world；　to　say　nothing　of　the　next；　the　problem　must　be　solved　in　some　way。　　But　in　what　way？　That　is　the　question。　　It　may　tend；　perhaps；　to　the　crystallisation　of　opinion　on　this　subject　if　I　lay　down；　with　such　precision　as　I　can　command；　what　must　be　the　essential　elements　of　any　scheme　likely　to　command　success。

SECTION　I。THE　ESSENTIALS　TO　SUCCESS。

The　first　essential　that　must　be　borne　in　mind　as　governing　every　Scheme　that　may　be　put　forward　is　that　it　must　change　the　man　when　it　is　his　character　and　conduct　which　constitute　the　reasons　for　his　failure　in　the　battle　of　life。　　No　change　in　circumstances；　no　revolution　in　social　conditions；　can　possibly　transform　the　nature　of　man。　　Some　of　the　worst　men　and　women　in　the　world；　whose　names　are　chronicled　by　history　with　a　shudder　of　horror；　were　those　who　had　all　the　advantages　that　wealth；　education　and　station　could　confer　or　ambition　could　attain。

The　supreme　test　of　any　scheme　for　benefiting　humanity　lies　in　the　answer　to　the　question；　What　does　it　make　of　the　individual？　　Does　it　quicken　his　conscience；　does　it　soften　his　heart；　does　it　enlighten　his　mind；　does　it；　in　short；　make　more　of　a　true　man　of　him；　because　only　by　such　influences　can　he　be　enabled　to　lead　a　human　life？　　Among　the　denizens　of　Darkest　England　there　are　many　who　have　found　their　way　thither　by　defects　of　character　which　would　under　the　most　favourable　circumstances　relegate　them　to　the　same　position。　　Hence；　unless　you　can　change　their　character　your　labour　will　be　lost。　　You　may　clothe　the　drunkard；　fill　his　purse　with　gold；　establish　him　in　a　well…furnished　home；　and　in　three；　or　six；　or　twelve　months　he　will　once　more　be　on　the　Embankment；　haunted　by　delirium　tremens；　dirty；　squalid；　and　ragged。　　Hence；　in　all　cases　where　a　man's　own　character　and　defects　constitute　the　reasons　for　his　fall；　that　character　must　be　changed　and　that　conduct　altered　if　any　permanent　beneficial　results　are　to　be　attained。　　If　he　is　a　drunkard；　he　must　be　made　sober；　if　idle；　he　must　be　made　industrious；　if　criminal；　he　must　be　made　honest；　if　impure；　he　must　be　made　clean；　and　if　he　be　so　deep　down　in　vice；　and　has　been　there　so　long　that　he　has　lost　all　heart；　and　hope；　and　power　to　help　himself；　and　absolutely　refuses　to　move；　he　must　be　inspired　with　hope　and　have　created　within　him　the　ambition　to　rise；　otherwise　he　will　never　get　out　of　the　horrible　pit。

Secondly：　　The　remedy；　to　be　effectual；　must　change　the　circumstances　of　the　individual　when　they　are　the　cause　of　his　wretched　condition；　and　lie　beyond　his　control。　　Among　those　who　have　arrived　at　their　present　evil　plight　through　faults　of　self…indulgence　or　some　defect　in　their　moral　character；　how　many　are　there　who　would　have　been　very　differently　placed　to…day　had　their　surroundings　been　otherwise？　Charles　Kingsley　puts　this　very　abruptly　where　he　makes　the　Poacher's　widow　say；　when　addressing　the　Bad　Squire；　who　drew　back

　〃Our　daughters；　with　baseborn　babies；　　Have　wandered　away　in　their　shame。　　If　your　misses　had　slept；　Squire；　where　they　did；　　Your　misses　might　do　the　same。'


Placed　in　the　same　or　similar　circumstances；　how　many　of　us　would　have　turned　out　better　than　this　poor；　lapsed；　sunken　multitude？

Many　of　this　crowd　have　never　had　a　chance　of　doing　better；　they　have　been　born　in　a　poisoned　atmosphere；　educated　in　circumstances　which　have　rendered　modesty　an　impossibility；　and　have　been　thrown　into　life　in　conditions　which　make　vice　a　second　nature。　　Hence；　to　provide　an　effective　remedy　for　the　evils　which　we　are　deploring　these　circumstances　must　be　altered；　and　unless　my　Scheme　effects　such　a　change；　it　will　be　of　no　use。　　There　are　multitudes；　myriads；　of　men　and　women；　who　are　floundering　in　the　horrible　quagmire　beneath　the　burden　of　a　load　too　heavy　for　them　to　bear；　every　plunge　they　take　forward　lands　them　deeper；　some　have　ceased　even　to　struggle；　and　lie　prone　in　the　filthy　bog；　slowly　suffocating；　with　their　manhood　and　womanhood　all　but　perished。　　It　is　no　use　standing　on　the　firm　bank　of　the　quaking　morass　and　anathematising　these　poor　wretches；　if　you　are　to　do　them　any　good；　you　must　give　them　another　chance　to　get　on　their　feet；　you　must　give　them　firm　foothold　upon　which　they　can　once　more　stand　upright；　and　you　must　build　stepping…stones　across　the　bog　to　enable　them　safely　to　reach　the　other　side。　　Favourable　circumstances　will　not　change　a　man's　heart　or　transform　his　nature；　but　unpropitious　circumstances　may　render　it　absolutely　impossible　for　him　to　escape；　no　matter　how　he　may　desire　to　extricate　himself。　　The　first　step　with　these　helpless；　sunken　creatures　is　to　create　the　desire　to　escape；　and　then　provide　the　means　for　doing　so。　　In　other　words；　give　the　man　another　chance。

Thirdly：　　Any　remedy　worthy　of　consideration　must　be　on　a　scale　commensurate　with　the　evil　with　which　it　proposes　to　deal。　　It　is　no　use　trying　to　bail　out　the　ocean　with　a　pint　pot。　　This　evil　is　one　whose　victims　are　counted　by　the　million。　　The　army　of　the　Lost　in　our　midst　exceeds　the　numbers　of　that　multitudinous　host　which　Xerxes　led　from　Asia　to　attempt　the　conquest　of　Greece。　　Pass　in　parade　those　who　make　up　the　submerged　tenth；　count　the　paupers　indoor　and　outdoor；　the　homeless；　the　starving；　the　criminals；　the　lunatics；　the　drunkards；　and　the　harlotsand　yet　do　not　give　way　to　despair！　　Even　to　attempt　to　save　a　tithe　of　this　host　requires　that　we　should　put　much　more　force　and　fire　into　our　work　than　has　hitherto　been　exhibited　by　anyone。　　There　must　be　no　more　philanthropic　tinkering；　as　if　this　vast　sea　of　human　misery　were　contained　in　the　limits　of　a　garden　pond。

Fourthly：　　Not　only　must　the　Scheme　be　large　enough；　but　it　must　be　permanent。　　That　is　to　say；　it　must　not　be　merely　a　spasmodic　effort　coping　with　the　misery　of　to…day；　it　must　be　established　on　a　durable　footing；　so　as　to　go　on　dealing　with　the　misery　of　tomorrow　and　the　day　after；　so　long　as　there　is　misery　left　in　the　world　with　which　to　grapple。

Fifthly：　　But　while　it　must　be　permanent；　it　must　also　be　immediately　practicable。　　Any　Scheme；　to　be　of　use；　must　be　capable　of　being　brought　into　instant　operation　with　beneficial　results。

Sixthly：　　The　indirect　features　of　the　Scheme　must　not　be　such　as　to　produce　injury　to　the　persons　whom　we　seek　to　benefit。　　Mere　charity；　for　instance；　while　relieving　the　pinch　of　hunger；　demoralises　the　recipient；　and　whatever　the　remedy　is　that　we　employ；　it　must　be　of　such　a　nature　as　to　do　good　without　doing　evil　at　the　same　time。　It　is　no　use　conferring　sixpennyworth　of　benefit　on　a　man　if；　at　the　same　time；　we　do　him　a　shilling'sworth　of　harm。

Seventhly：　　While　assisting　one　class　of　the　community；　it　must　not　seriously　interfere　with　the　interests　of　another。　　In　raising　one　section　of　the　fallen；　we　must　not　thereby　endanger　the　safety　of　those　who　with　difficulty　are　keeping　on　their　feet。

These　are　the　conditions　by　which　I　ask　you　to　test　the　Scheme　I　am　about　to　unfold。　　They　are　formidable　enough；　possibly；　to　deter　many　from　even　attempting　to　do　anything。　　They　are　not　of　my　making。　They　are　obvious　to　anyone　who　looks　into　the　matter。　They　are　the　laws　which　govern　the　work　of　the　philanthropic　reformer；　just　as　the　laws　of　gravitation；　of　wind　and　of　weather；　govern　the　operations　of　the　engineer。　　It　is　no　use　saying　we　could　build　a　bridge　across　the　Tay　if　the　wind　did　not　blow；　or　that　we　could　build　a　railway　across　a　bog　if　the　quagmire　wo