the days of my life-第119章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


work；　and；　if　you　care　to　know　it；　I　should　like　to　add　that　I　have　found　it　a　strength　and　a　support　to　myself　in　my　own　struggles。　。　。　。　It’s　almost　an　insult　to　ask　you　here　rushed　as　I　am；　but　I　did　want　to　have　a　word　with　you；　and　had　no　other　chance。”
I　also　spoke　to　him　about　Horace　Plunkett’s　work。　He　answered　that　he　thought　most　highly　of　him　and　that　he；　Plunkett；　was　ing　over　to　America　to　see　him。
Subsequently　I　read　in　the　American　Outlook　a　most　interesting　signed　article　by　Mr。　Roosevelt　a　propos　of　my　social　work；　and　especially　of　the　book　called　“Regeneration”　that　I　had　written　on　the　Salvation　Army。
As　to　this　review　Mr。　Roosevelt　wrote　to　me　regretting　that　he　could　not　have　made　the　article　ten　times　as　long。
To　this　I　answered　on　August　8；　1911：
I　thank　you　most　heartily。　I　cannot　tell　you　how　greatly　I　appreciate　the　good　opinion　of　a　man　like　yourself；　and　what　is　so　very　rare；　the　public　expression　of　that　opinion。　As　a　private　individual　I　find　my　task　very　hard：　to　drive　into　the　intelligence　of　a　blind　and　careless　generation　certain　elementary　facts　which　it　cannot　or　will　not　understand　is　always　difficult；　especially　if　the　wielder　of　the　hammer　is　not　rich。　If　I　could　afford　it　I　would　devote　the　rest　of　my　life　to　this　kind　of　educational　work　in　my　own　land　and　others。　But　I　fear　I　can’t；　and　in　this　country　no　kind　of　help　is　forthing　to　make　such　efforts　possible。
Of　Mr。　Roosevelt’s　long　answer　I　quote　the　beginning　and　the　end；　omitting　all　the　central　part　of　the　letter；　which　deals　with　various　social　problems。　I　will　call　special　attention　to　the　last　lines　of　this　letter；　which　I　think　show　a　high　and　fine　spirit。
The　Outlook；　287　Fourth　Avenue；
New　York：　August　22；　1911。
Dear　Mr。　Haggard；　—　I　have　been　reading　“Rural　Denmark”　with　genuine　interest；　and　I　congratulate　you　upon　the　work。　I　was　especially　interested　in　the　rather　melancholy　chapter　at　the　end
—　“What　might　be　and　what　is。”　I　agree　with　every　word　you　say　about　the　land　。　。　。　。
I　do　not　wonder　that　you　feel　discouraged　and　blue　at　times。　As　you　say；　it　seems　a　hard　and　thankless　task　to　have　to　try　to　hammer　into　your　generation　what　is　vital　for　them　to　learn　and　what　they　refuse　to　learn。　I　half　smiled　when　I　read　what　you　wrote；　because　I　so　often　have　the　same　feeling　myself。　As　President　I　tried；　and　I　now　continue　to　try；　to　teach　lessons　that　I　feel　ought　to　be　learned　by　my　fellow…countrymen；　and　I　often　wonder　how　much　I　am　acplishing　by　it。　There　are　so　many　important　lessons　that　ought　to　be　learned；　and　the　art　of　preaching　so　that　it　will　at　least　do　no　harm　is　such　a　very　difficult　art　to　acquire　and　to　practise！　I　often　bee　quite　horrified　at　the　multitude　of　profoundly　dull　and　uninteresting　little　books　and　pamphlets　and　articles　and　tracts；　all　with　a　worthy　purpose；　which　are　sent　to　me　by　other　men　interested　in　trying　to　teach　something　which　they　believe　ought　to　be　taught；　I　wonder　whether　I　seem　the　kind　of　dull　pointless　bore　to　the　people　I　am　trying　to　help　as　so　many　of　these　worthy　people　seem　to　me！　I　think　your　business　and　mine　is　to　go　ahead；　never　to　stop　trying　to　help　along　the　lines　we　have　marked　out；　and　yet　to　keep　our　sense　of　humor　and　sense　of　proportion　and　equability　of　nature。　We　must　not　preach　all　the　time；　or　we　will　stop　doing　any　good；　for　we　must　always　remember　not　to　fall　into　the　snare　of　preaching　for　the　sake　of　relieving　our　own　souls　instead　of　for　the　purpose　of　acplishing　something　as　regards　somebody　else’s　soul。　We　must　not　permit　ourselves　to　bee　soured　by　our　experiences；　for　being　gloomy　does　not　in　the　least　help　a　man　to　reach　others；　and　merely　makes　him　less　attractive　to　himself　and　to　all　around　him。　Life　is　a　campaign；　and　at　best　we　are　merely　under…officers　or　subalterns　in　it。　We　are　bound　to　do　our　duty　as　efficiently　and　as　fearlessly　as　we　know　how；　but　it　is　a　good　thing　to　remember　that　we　must　not　be　too　much　cast　down　even　if　things　look　wrong；　because　melancholy　only　tends　to　make　us　less　and　not　more　efficient；　and　buoyancy　and　good…humor　and　the　ability　to　enjoy　life　all　help　instead　of　hindering　a　reformer。
Well！　I　have　written　you　an　unconscionably　long　letter。　Good…bye　and　good　luck！
Faithfully　yours；
Theodore　Roosevelt。
H。　Rider　Haggard；　Esq。；
Ditchingham　House；
Norfolk。
I　answered　as　follows：
Ditchingham　House；　Norfolk：
September　5；　1911。
My　dear　Mr。　Roosevelt；　—　Many　thanks　for　your　interesting　letter　of　August　22nd。　I　think　that　the　cause　of　the　“trouble　among　the　peoples　who　speak　English”　is　twofold；　the　love　of　pleasure　and　the　love　of　wealth；　both　of　which　affections　can；　for　the　majority；　be　most　easily　gratified　in　cities。　Doubtless　the　Golden　Calf　is　the　most　popular　of　all　gods　ancient　or　modern；　and　he　does　not　build　his　shrines　amongst　woods　and　fields。　Moreover　his　worship　bees　ever　more　facile；　since　during　the　last　century　a　new　code　of　morality　has　matured　in　these　matters。
Rogues；　of　course；　there　always　were；　but　in　the　days　of　our　grandfathers　not　so　many；　I　think；　of　the　“indifferent　honest。”
I　have　a　few　shares　in　certain　mercial　undertakings。　A　week　or　so　ago　I　observed　that　the　price　of　these　shares　was　falling　rapidly。　When　they　had；　so　to　speak；　bumped　against　the　bottom；　in　each　case　the　shareholders　were　notified　of　certain　troubles　and　miscalculations　that　had　occurred。　The　next　day　the　papers　pointed　out　that　the　“insiders”　had　been　unloading　their　shares　at　the　high　price　before　warning　the　shareholders　of　what　had　happened；　and　remarked　that　this　furnished　another　proof　of　the　helplessness　of　the　investor　in　the　hands　of　the　said　insiders；　who　are；　I　suppose；　the　directors　and　their　friends。
Now　I　frequently　have　to　send　people　to　prison　who　through　poverty　or　actual　want　have　stolen　something；　but　no　one　will　send　these　“insiders”　to　prison；　although　they　are　worse　than　ordinary　thieves　because　they　betray　the　confidence　of　those　who　trusted　them　and　whose　interests　they　are　paid　to　promote。　On　the　contrary；　their　rapidly　acquired　wealth　will　be　admired；　they　will　be　spoken　of　with　respect　as　successful　men；　and　probably　in　the　end　receive　or　purchase　titles。
Now　in　the　conditions　of　a　simple　pastoral　life　dishonesty；　even　if　innate；　could　scarcely　bring　such　rich　rewards。
Apply　the　argument　to　the　various　classes　of　mankind　and　I　think　we　have　one　of　the　causes　of　the　popularity　of　the　town。
Another　is；　of　course；　that　there　women　can　show　themselves　off；　their　jewels　and　dresses；　if　rich；　or　if　poor；　can　have　the　advantages　of　cheap　amusements。　In　most　people　the　love　of　Nature　scarcely　exists；　it　seems　to　be　the　privilege　of　the　highly　educated。　But　niy…eight　out　of　a　hundred　love　a　gas…lamp。
Speaking　generally；　this　seems　to　be　the　state　of　affairs　among　all　the　more　progressive　of　the　white　peoples。　I　hear　that　even　the　Boers　of　whom　you　speak　are　in　a　good　many　instances　beginning　to　be　affected　by　this　kind　of　tidal　movement　towards　the　town。　How　will　it　end？　That　is　the　interesting　point。　My　opinion　is　that　in　the　absence　of　some　unforeseen　and　unexpected　turn　of　this　tide　it　will　involve　the　practical　destruction　of　the　white　peoples；　and　that