in darkest england and the way out-第63部分

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The　amount　advanced　for　passages；　outfit　money；　and　settlement　would　be　repaid　by　instalments　by　the　Colonists；　which　would　in　turn　serve　to　pay　the　cost　of　conveying　others　to　the　same　destination。

Passage　and　outfit　money　would；　no　doubt；　continue　to　be　some　difficulty。　　#8　per　head；　say　to　Africa#5　passage　money；　and　#3　for　the　journey　across　the　countryis　a　large　sum　when　a　considerable　number　are　involved；　and　I　am　afraid　no　Colony　would　be　reached　at　a　much　lower　rate。　　But　I　am　not　without　hope　that　the　Government　might　assist　us　in　this　direction。

Taking　up　the　entire　question；　that　is　of　the　three　Colonies；　we　are　satisfied　that　the　sum　named　will　suffice　to　set　to　work　an　agency　which　will　probably　rescue　from　lives　of　degradation　and　immorality　an　immense　number　of　people；　and　that　an　income　of　something　like　#30；000　will　keep　it　afloat。　　But　supposing　that　a　much　larger　amount　should　be　required；　by　operations　greatly　in　advance　of　those　here　spoken　of；　which　we　think　exceedingly　probable；　it　is　not　unreasonable　to　expect　that　it　will　be　forthcoming；　seeing　that　caring　for　the　poor　is　not　only　a　duty　of　universal　obligation；　a　root　principle　of　all　religion；　but　an　instinct　of　humanity　not　likely　to　be　abolished　in　our　time。　We　are　not　opposed　to　charity　as　such；　but　to　the　mode　of　its　administration；　which；　instead　of　permanently　relieving；　only　demoralises　and　plunges　the　recipients　lower　in　the　mire；　and　so　defeats　its　own　purpose。

〃What！〃　I　think　I　hear　some　say；　〃a　million　sterling！　how　can　any　man　out　of　Bedlam　dream　of　raising　such　a　sum？〃　　Stop　a　little！　　A　million　may　be　a　great　deal　to　pay　for　a　diamond　or　a　palace；　but　it　is　a　mere　trifle　compared　with　the　sums　which　Britain　lavishes　whenever　Britons　are　in　need　of　deliverance　if　they　happen　to　be　imprisoned　abroad。　The　King　of　Ashantee　had　captive　some　British　subjectsnot　even　of　English　birthin　1869。　　John　Bull　despatched　General　Wolseley　with　the　pick　of　the　British　army；　who　smashed　Koffee　Kalkallee；　liberated　the　captives；　and　burnt　Coomassie；　and　never　winced　when　the　bill　came　in　for　#750；000。　　But　that　was　a　mere　trifle。　　When　King　Theodore；　of　Abyssinia；　made　captives　of　a　couple　of　British　representatives；　Lord　Napier　was　despatched　to　rescue。　　He　marched　his　army　to　Magdala；　brought　back　the　prisoners；　and　left　King　Theodore　dead。　The　cost　of　that　expedition　was　over　nine　millions　sterling。　The　Egyptian　Campaign；　that　smashed　Arabi；　cost　nearly　five　millions。　The　rush　to　Khartoum；　that　arrived　too　late　to　rescue　General　Gordon；　cost　at　least　as　much。　　The　Afghan　war　cost　twenty…one　millions　sterling。　　Who　dares　then　to　say　that　Britain　cannot　provide　a　million　sterling　to　rescue；　not　one　or　two　captives；　but　a　million；　whose　lot　is　quite　as　doleful　as　that　of　the　prisoners　of　savage　kings；　but　who　are　to　be　found；　not　in　the　land　of　the　Soudan；　or　in　the　swamps　of　Ashantee；　or　in　the　Mountains　of　the　Moon；　but　here　at　our　very　doors？　Don't　talk　to　me　about　the　impossibility　of　raising　the　million。　Nothing　is　impossible　when　Britain　is　in　earnest。　　All　talk　of　impossibility　only　means　that　you　don't　believe　that　the　nation　cares　to　enter　upon　a　serious　campaign　against　the　enemy　at　our　gates。　When　John　Bull　goes　to　the　wars　he　does　not　count　the　cost。　　And　who　dare　deny　that　the　time　has　fully　come　for　a　declaration　of　war　against　the　Social　Evils　which　seem　to　shut　out　God　from　this　our　world？


SECTION　3。SOME　ADVANTAGES　STATED。

This　Scheme　takes　into　its　embrace　all　kinds　and　classes　of　men　who　may　be　in　destitute　circumstances；　irrespective　of　their　character　or　conduct；　and　charges　itself　with　supplying　at　once　their　temporal　needs；　and　then　aims　at　placing　them　in　a　permanent　position　of　comparative　comfort；　the　only　stipulation　made　being　a　willingness　to　work　and　to　conform　to　discipline　on　the　part　of　those　receiving　its　benefit。

While　at　the　commencement；　we　must　impose　some　limits　with　respect　to　age　and　sickness；　we　hope；　when　fairly　at　work；　to　be　able　to　dispense　with　even　these　restrictions；　and　to　receive　any　unfortunate　individual　who　has　only　his　misery　to　recommend　him　and　an　honest　desire　to　get　out　of　it。

It　will　be　seen　that；　in　this　respect；　the　Scheme　stands　head　and　shoulders　above　any　plan　that　has　ever　been　mooted　before；　seeing　that　nearly　all　the　other　charitable　and　remedial　proposals　more　or　less　confess　their　utter　inability　to　benefit　any　but　what　they　term　the　〃decent〃　working　man。

This　Scheme　seeks　out　by　all　manner　of　agencies；　marvellously　adapted　for　the　task；　the　classes　whose　welfare　it　contemplates；　and；　by　varied　measures　and　motives　adapted　to　their　circumstances；　compels　them　to　accept　its　benefits。

Our　Plan　contemplates　nothing　short　of　revolutionising　the　character　of　those　whose　faults　are　the　reason　for　their　destitution。　　We　have　seen　that　with　fully　fifty　per　cent。　of　these　their　own　evil　conduct　is　the　cause　of　their　wretchedness。　　To　stop　short　with　them　of　anything　less　than　a　real　change　of　heart　will　be　to　invite　and　ensure　failure。　But　this　we　are　confident　of　effectinganyway；　in　the　great　majority　of　cases；　by　reasonings　and　persuasions；　concerning　both　earthly　and　heavenly　advantages；　by　the　power　of　man；　and　by　the　power　of　God。

By　this　Scheme　any　man；　no　matter　how　deeply　he　may　have　fallen　in　self…respect　and　the　esteem　of　all　about　him；　may　re…enter　life　afresh；　with　the　prospect　of　re…establishing　his　character　when　lost；　or　perhaps　of　establishing　a　character　for　the　first　time；　and　so　obtaining　an　introduction　to　decent　employment；　and　a　claim　for　admission　into　Society　as　a　good　citizen。　　While　many　of　this　crowd　are　absolutely　without　a　decent　friend；　others　will　have；　on　that　higher　level　of　respectability　they　once　occupied；　some　relative；　or　friend；　or　employer；　who　occasionally　thinks　of　them；　and　who；　if　only　satisfied　that　a　real　change　has　taken　place　in　the　prodigal；　will　not　only　be　willing；　but　delighted；　to　help　them　once　more。

By　this　Scheme；　we　believe　we　shall　be　able　to　teach　habits　of　economy；　household　management；　thrift；　and　the　like。　　There　are　numbers　of　men　who；　although　suffering　the　direst　pangs　of　poverty；　know　little　or　nothing　about　the　value　of　money；　or　the　prudent　use　of　it；　and　there　are　hundreds　of　poor　women　who　do　not　know　what　a　decently…managed　home　is；　and　who　could　not　make　one　if　they　had　the　most　ample　means　and　tried　ever　so　hard　to　accomplish　it；　having　never　seen　anything　but　dirt；　disorder；　and　misery　in　their　domestic　history。　　They　could　not　cook　a　dinner　or　prepare　a　meal　decently　if　their　lives　were　dependent　on　it；　never　having　had　a　chance　of　learning　how　to　do　it。　　But　by　this　Scheme　hope　to　teach　these　things。

By　this　Plan；　habits　of　cleanliness　will　be　created；　and　some　knowledge　of　sanitary　questions　in　general　will　be　imparted。　This　Scheme　changes　the　circumstances　of　those　whose　poverty　is　caused　by　their　misfortune。　　To　begin　with；　it　finds　work　for　the　unemployed。　This　is　the　chief　need。　　The　great　problem　that　has　for　ages　been　puzzling　the　brains　of　the　political　economist　and　philanthropist　has　been　〃How　can　we　find　these　people　work？〃　　No　matter　what　other　helps　are　discovered；　without　work　there　is　no　real　ground　for　hope。　Charity　and　all　the　other　ten　thousand　devices　are　only　temporary　expedients；　altogether　insufficient　to　meet　the　necessity。　　Work；　apart　from　the　fact　that　it　is　God's　method　of　supplying　the　wants　of　man's　composite　nature；　is　an　essential　to　his　well…being　in　every　way　and　on　this　Plan　there　is　work；　honourable　worknone　of　your　demoralising　stone…breaking；　or　oakum…picking　business；　which　tantalises　and　insults　poverty；　Every　worker　will　feel　that　he　is　not　only　occupied　for　his　own　benefit；　but　that　any　advantage　reaped　over　and　above　that　which　he　gains　himself　will　serve　to　lift　some　other　poor　wretch　out　of　the　gutter。

There　would　be　work　within　the　capacity　of　all。　　Every　gift　could　be　employed。　　For　instance；　take　five　persons　on　the　Farma　baker；　a　tailor；　a　shoemaker；　a　cook；　and　an　agriculturist。　　The　baker　would　make　bread　for　all；　the　tailor　garments　for　all；　the　shoemaker　shoes　for　all；　the　cook　would　cook　for　all；　and　the　agriculturist　dig　for　all。　Those　who　know　anything　which　would　be　useful　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　Colony　will　be　set　to　do　it；　and　those　who　are　ignorant　of　any　trade　or　profession　will　be　taught　one。

This　Scheme　removes　the　vicious　and　criminal　classes　out　of　the　sphere　of　those　temptations　before　which　they　have　invariably　fallen　in　the　past。　　Our　experience　goes　to　show　that　when　you　have；　by　Divine　grace；　or　by　any　consideration　of　the　advantages　of　a　good　life；　or　the　disadvantages　of　a　bad　one；　produced　in　a　man　circumstanced　as　those　whom　we　have　been　describing；　the　resolution　to　turn　over　a　new　leaf；　the　temptations　and　difficulties　he　has　to　encounter　will　ordinarily　master　him；　and　undo　all　that　has　been　done；　if　he　still　continues　to　be　surrounded　by　old　companions　and　allurements　to　sin。

Now；　look　at　the　force　of　the　temptations　this　class　has　to　fight　against。　　What　is　it　that　leads　people　to　do　wrongpeople　of　all　classes；　rich　as　well　as　poor？　　Not　the　desire　to　sin。　　They　do　not　want　to　sin；　many　of　them　do　not　know