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Erewhonian　hands；　it　will　be　said　that　what　I　have　written　about
the　relations　between　parents　and　children　being　seldom
satisfactory　is　an　infamous　perversion　of　facts；　and　that　in　truth
there　are　few　young　people　who　do　not　feel　happier　in　the　society
of　their　nearest　relations　｛4｝　than　in　any　other。　　Mr。　Nosnibor
would　be　sure　to　say　this。　　Yet　I　cannot　refrain　from　expressing　an
opinion　that　he　would　be　a　good　deal　embarrassed　if　his　deceased
parents　were　to　reappear　and　propose　to　pay　him　a　six　months'
visit。　　I　doubt　whether　there　are　many　things　which　he　would　regard
as　a　greater　infliction。　　They　had　died　at　a　ripe　old　age　some
twenty　years　before　I　came　to　know　him；　so　the　case　is　an　extreme
one；　but　surely　if　they　had　treated　him　with　what　in　his　youth　he
had　felt　to　be　true　unselfishness；　his　face　would　brighten　when　he
thought　of　them　to　the　end　of　his　life。

In　the　one　or　two　cases　of　true　family　affection　which　I　met　with；
I　am　sure　that　the　young　people　who　were　so　genuinely　fond　of　their
fathers　and　mothers　at　eighteen；　would　at　sixty　be　perfectly
delighted　were　they　to　get　the　chance　of　welcoming　them　as　their
guests。　　There　is　nothing　which　could　please　them　better；　except
perhaps　to　watch　the　happiness　of　their　own　children　and
grandchildren。

This　is　how　things　should　be。　　It　is　not　an　impossible　ideal；　it　is
one　which　actually　does　exist　in　some　few　cases；　and　might　exist　in
almost　all；　with　a　little　more　patience　and　forbearance　upon　the
parents'　part；　but　it　is　rare　at　presentso　rare　that　they　have　a
proverb　which　I　can　only　translate　in　a　very　roundabout　way；　but
which　says　that　the　great　happiness　of　some　people　in　a　future
state　will　consist　in　watching　the　distress　of　their　parents　on
returning　to　eternal　companionship　with　their　grandfathers　and
grandmothers；　whilst　〃compulsory　affection〃　is　the　idea　which　lies
at　the　root　of　their　word　for　the　deepest　anguish。

There　is　no　talisman　in　the　word　〃parent〃　which　can　generate
miracles　of　affection；　and　I　can　well　believe　that　my　own　child
might　find　it　less　of　a　calamity　to　lose　both　Arowhena　and　myself
when　he　is　six　years　old；　than　to　find　us　again　when　he　is　sixtya
sentence　which　I　would　not　pen　did　I　not　feel　that　by　doing　so　I
was　giving　him　something　like　a　hostage；　or　at　any　rate　putting　a
weapon　into　his　hands　against　me；　should　my　selfishness　exceed
reasonable　limits。

Money　is　at　the　bottom　of　all　this　to　a　great　extent。　　If　the
parents　would　put　their　children　in　the　way　of　earning　a　competence
earlier　than　they　do；　the　children　would　soon　become　self…
supporting　and　independent。　　As　it　is；　under　the　present　system；
the　young　ones　get　old　enough　to　have　all　manner　of　legitimate
wants　（that　is；　if　they　have　any　〃go〃　about　them）　before　they　have
learnt　the　means　of　earning　money　to　pay　for　them；　hence　they　must
either　do　without　them；　or　take　more　money　than　the　parents　can　be
expected　to　spare。　　This　is　due　chiefly　to　the　schools　of　Unreason；
where　a　boy　is　taught　upon　hypothetical　principles；　as　I　will
explain　hereafter；　spending　years　in　being　incapacitated　for　doing
this；　that；　or　the　other　（he　hardly　knows　what）；　during　all　which
time　he　ought　to　have　been　actually　doing　the　thing　itself；
beginning　at　the　lowest　grades；　picking　it　up　through　actual
practice；　and　rising　according　to　the　energy　which　is　in　him。

These　schools　of　Unreason　surprised　me　much。　　It　would　be　easy　to
fall　into　pseudo…utilitarianism；　and　I　would　fain　believe　that　the
system　may　be　good　for　the　children　of　very　rich　parents；　or　for
those　who　show　a　natural　instinct　to　acquire　hypothetical　lore；　but
the　misery　was　that　their　Ydgrun…worship　required　all　people　with
any　pretence　to　respectability　to　send　their　children　to　some　one
or　other　of　these　schools；　mulcting　them　of　years　of　money。　　It
astonished　me　to　see　what　sacrifices　the　parents　would　make　in
order　to　render　their　children　as　nearly　useless　as　possible；　and
it　was　hard　to　say　whether　the　old　suffered　most　from　the　expense
which　they　were　thus　put　to；　or　the　young　from　being　deliberately
swindled　in　some　of　the　most　important　branches　of　human　inquiry；
and　directed　into　false　channels　or　left　to　drift　in　the　great
majority　of　cases。

I　cannot　think　I　am　mistaken　in　believing　that　the　growing　tendency
to　limit　families　by　infanticidean　evil　which　was　causing　general
alarm　throughout　the　countrywas　almost　entirely　due　to　the　way　in
which　education　had　become　a　fetish　from　one　end　of　Erewhon　to　the
other。　　Granted　that　provision　should　be　made　whereby　every　child
should　be　taught　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic；　but　here
compulsory　state…aided　education　should　end；　and　the　child　should
begin　（with　all　due　precautions　to　ensure　that　he　is　not
overworked）　to　acquire　the　rudiments　of　that　art　whereby　he　is　to
earn　his　living。

He　cannot　acquire　these　in　what　we　in　England　call　schools　of
technical　education；　such　schools　are　cloister　life　as　against　the
rough　and　tumble　of　the　world；　they　unfit；　rather　than　fit　for　work
in　the　open。　　An　art　can　only　be　learned　in　the　workshop　of　those
who　are　winning　their　bread　by　it。

Boys；　as　a　rule；　hate　the　artificial；　and　delight　in　the　actual；
give　them　the　chance　of　earning；　and　they　will　soon　earn。　　When
parents　find　that　their　children；　instead　of　being　made
artificially　burdensome；　will　early　begin　to　contribute　to　the
well…being　of　the　family；　they　will　soon　leave　off　killing　them；
and　will　seek　to　have　that　plenitude　of　offspring　which　they　now
avoid。　　As　things　are；　the　state　lays　greater　burdens　on　parents
than　flesh　and　blood　can　bear；　and　then　wrings　its　hands　over　an
evil　for　which　it　is　itself　mainly　responsible。

With　the　less　well…dressed　classes　the　harm　was　not　so　great；　for
among　these；　at　about　ten　years　old；　the　child　has　to　begin　doing
something：　　if　he　is　capable　he　makes　his　way　up；　if　he　is　not；　he
is　at　any　rate　not　made　more　incapable　by　what　his　friends　are
pleased　to　call　his　education。　　People　find　their　level　as　a　rule；
and　though　they　unfortunately　sometimes　miss　it；　it　is　in　the　main
true　that　those　who　have　valuable　qualities　are　perceived　to　have
them　and　can　sell　them。　　I　think　that　the　Erewhonians　are　beginning
to　become　aware　of　these　things；　for　there　was　much　talk　about
putting　a　tax　upon　all　parents　whose　children　were　not　earning　a
competence　according　to　their　degrees　by　the　time　they　were　twenty
years　old。　　I　am　sure　that　if　they　will　have　the　courage　to　carry
it　through　they　will　never　regret　it；　for　the　parents　will　take
care　that　the　children　shall　begin　earning　money　（which　means
〃doing　good〃　to　society）　at　an　early　age；　then　the　children　will　be
independent　early；　and　they　will　not　press　on　the　parents；　nor　the
parents　on　them；　and　they　will　like　each　other　better　than　they　do
now。

This　is　the　true　philanthropy。　　He　who　makes　a　colossal　fortune　in
the　hosiery　trade；　and　by　his　energy　has　succeeded　in　reducing　the
price　of　woollen　goods　by　the　thousandth　part　of　a　penny　in　the
poundthis　man　is　worth　ten　professional　philanthropists。　　So
strongly　are　the　Erewhonians　impressed　with　this；　that　if　a　man　has
made　a　fortune　of　over　20；000　pounds　a　year　they　exempt　him　from
all　taxation；　considering　him　as　a　work　of　art；　and　too　precious　to
be　meddled　with；　they　say；　〃How　very　much　he　must　have　done　for
society　before　society　could　have　been　prevailed　upon　to　give　him
so　much　money；〃　so　magnificent　an　organisation　overawes　them；　they
regard　it　as　a　thing　dropped　from　heaven。

〃Money；〃　they　say；　〃is　the　symbol　of　duty；　it　is　the　sacrament　of
having　done　for　mankind　that　which　mankind　wanted。　　Mankind　may　not
be　a　very　good　judge；　but　there　is　no　better。〃　　This　used　to　shock
me　at　first；　when　I　remembered　that　it　had　been　said　on　high
authority　that　they　who　have　riches　shall　enter　hardly　into　the
kingdom　of　heaven；　but　the　influence　of　Erewhon　had　made　me　begin
to　see　things　in　a　new　light；　and　I　could　not　help　thinking　that
they　who　have　not　riches　shall　enter　more　hardly　still。

People　oppose　money　to　culture；　and　imply　that　if　a　man　has　spent
his　time　in　making　money　he　will　not　be　cultivatedfallacy　of
fallacies！　　As　though　there　could　be　a　greater　aid　to　culture　than
the　having　earned　an　honourable　independence；　and　as　though　any
amount　of　culture　will　do　much　for　the　man　who　is　penniless；　except
make　him　feel　his　position　more　deeply。　　The　young　man　who　was　told
to　sell　all　his　goods　and　give　to　the　poor；　must　have　been　an
entirely　exceptional　person　if　the　advice　was　given　wisely；　either
for　him　or　for　the　poor；　how　much　more　often　does　it　happen　that　we
perceive　a　man　to　have　all　sorts　of　good　qualities　except　money；
and　feel　that　his　real　duty　lies　in　getting　every　half…penny　that
he　can　persuade　others　to　pay　him　for　his　services；　and　becoming
rich。　　It　has　been　said　that　the　love　of　money　is　the　root　of　all
evil。　　The　want　of　money　is　so　quite　as　truly。

The　above　may　sound　irreverent；　but　it　is　conceived　in　a　spirit　of
the　most　utter　reverence　for　those　things　which　do　alone　deserve
itthat　is；　for　the　things　which　are；　which　mould　us　and　fashion
us；　be　they　what　they　may；　for　the　things　that　have　power　to　punish
us；　and　which　will　punish　us　if　we　do　not　heed　them；　for　our
masters　therefore。　　But　I　am　drifting　away　from　my　story。

They　have　another　plan　about　which　they　are　making　a　great　noise
and　fuss；　much　as　some　are　doing　with　women's　rights　in　England。　　A
party　of　extreme　radicals　have　professed　themselves　unable　to
decide　upon　the　superiority　of　age　or　youth。　　At　present　all　goes
on　the　supposition　that　it　is　desirable　to　make　the　young　old　as
soon　as　possible。　　Some　would　have　it　that　this　is　wrong；　and　that
the　object　of　education　should　be　to　keep　the　old　young　as　long　as
possible。　　They　say　that　each　age　should　take　it　turn　in　turn
about；　week　by　week；　one　week　the　old　to　be　topsawyers；　and　the
other　the　young；　drawing　the　line　at　thirty…five　years　of　age；　but
they　insist　that　the　young　should　be　allowed　to　inflict　corporal
chastisement　on　the　old；　without　which　the　old　would　be　quite
incorrigible。　　In　any　European　country　this　would　be　out　of　the
question；