01-what is man-第8部分

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O。M。　　You　would　always　do　anything　in　your　power　to　please　her？



Y。M。　　It　is　a　delight　to　me　to　do　anything　to　please　her！



O。M。　　Why？　　YOU　WOULD　DO　IT　FOR　PAY；　SOLELYfor　PROFIT。

What　profit　would　you　expect　and　certainly　receive　from

the　investment？



Y。M。　　Personally？　　None。　　To　please　HER　is　enough。



O。M。　　It　appears；　then；　that　your　object；　primarily；　WASN'T

to　save　the　girl　a　humiliation；　but　to　PLEASE　YOUR　MOTHER。　　It

also　appears　that　to　please　your　mother　gives　YOU　a　strong

pleasure。　　Is　not　that　the　profit　which　you　get　out　of　the

investment？　　Isn't　that　the　REAL　profits　and　FIRST　profit？



Y。M。　　Oh；　well？　　Go　on。



O。M。　　In　ALL　transactions；　the　Interior　Master　looks　to　it

that　YOU　GET　THE　FIRST　PROFIT。　　Otherwise　there　is　no

transaction。



Y。M。　　Well；　then；　if　I　was　so　anxious　to　get　that　profit　and

so　intent　upon　it；　why　did　I　threw　it　away　by　losing　my　temper？



O。M。　　In　order　to　get　ANOTHER　profit　which　suddenly

superseded　it　in　value。



Y。M。　　Where　was　it？



O。M。　　Ambushed　behind　your　born　temperament；　and　waiting　for

a　chance。　　Your　native　warm　temper　suddenly　jumped　to　the　front；

and　FOR　THE　MOMENT　its　influence　was　more　powerful　than　your

mother's；　and　abolished　it。　　In　that　instance　you　were　eager　to

flash　out　a　hot　rebuke　and　enjoy　it。　　You　did　enjoy　it；　didn't　you？



Y。M。　　Forfor　a　quarter　of　a　second。　　YesI　did。



O。M。　　Very　well；　it　is　as　I　have　said：　　the　thing　which　will

give　you　the　MOST　pleasure；　the　most　satisfaction；　in　any　moment

or　FRACTION　of　a　moment；　is　the　thing　you　will　always　do。　　You

must　content　the　Master's　LATEST　whim；　whatever　it　may　be。



Y。M。　　But　when　the　tears　came　into　the　old　servant's　eyes　I

could　have　cut　my　hand　off　for　what　I　had　done。



O。M。　　Right。　　You　had　humiliated　YOURSELF；　you　see；　you　had

given　yourself　PAIN。　　Nothing　is　of　FIRST　importance　to　a　man

except　results　which　damage　HIM　or　profit　himall　the　rest　is

SECONDARY。　　Your　Master　was　displeased　with　you；　although　you　had

obeyed　him。　　He　required　a　prompt　REPENTANCE；　you　obeyed　again；

you　HAD　tothere　is　never　any　escape　from　his　commands。　　He　is　a

hard　master　and　fickle；　he　changes　his　mind　in　the　fraction　of　a

second；　but　you　must　be　ready　to　obey；　and　you　will　obey；　ALWAYS。

If　he　requires　repentance；　you　content　him；　you　will　always

furnish　it。　　He　must　be　nursed；　petted；　coddled；　and　kept

contented；　let　the　terms　be　what　they　may。



Y。M。　　Training！　　Oh；　what's　the　use　of　it？　　Didn't　I；　and

didn't　my　mother　try　to　train　me　up　to　where　I　would　no　longer

fly　out　at　that　girl？



O。M。　　Have　you　never　managed　to　keep　back　a　scolding？



Y。M。　　Oh；　certainlymany　times。



O。M。　　More　times　this　year　than　last？



Y。M。　　Yes；　a　good　many　more。



O。M。　　More　times　last　year　than　the　year　before？



Y。M。　　Yes。



O。M。　　There　is　a　large　improvement；　then；　in　the　two　years？



Y。M。　　Yes；　undoubtedly。



O。M。　　Then　your　question　is　answered。　　You　see　there　IS　use　in

training。　　Keep　on。　　Keeping　faithfully　on。　　You　are　doing　well。



Y。M。　　Will　my　reform　reach　perfection？



O。M。　　It　will。　　UP　to　YOUR　limit。



Y。M。　　My　limit？　　What　do　you　mean　by　that？



O。M。　　You　remember　that　you　said　that　I　said　training　was

EVERYTHING。　　I　corrected　you；　and　said　〃training　and　ANOTHER

thing。〃　　That　other　thing　is　TEMPERAMENTthat　is；　the

disposition　you　were　born　with。　　YOU　CAN'T　ERADICATE　YOUR

DISPOSITION　NOR　ANY　RAG　OF　ITyou　can　only　put　a　pressure　on　it

and　keep　it　down　and　quiet。　　You　have　a　warm　temper？



Y。M。　　Yes。



O。M。　　You　will　never　get　rid　of　it；　but　by　watching　it　you

can　keep　it　down　nearly　all　the　time。　　ITS　PRESENCE　IS　YOUR

LIMIT。　　Your　reform　will　never　quite　reach　perfection；　for　your

temper　will　beat　you　now　and　then；　but　you　come　near　enough。　　You

have　made　valuable　progress　and　can　make　more。　　There　IS　use　in

training。　　Immense　use。　　Presently　you　will　reach　a　new　stage　of

development；　then　your　progress　will　be　easier；　will　proceed　on　a

simpler　basis；　anyway。



Y。M。　　Explain。



O。M。　　You　keep　back　your　scoldings　now；　to　please　YOURSELF

by　pleasing　your　MOTHER；　presently　the　mere　triumphing　over　your

temper　will　delight　your　vanity　and　confer　a　more　delicious

pleasure　and　satisfaction　upon　you　than　even　the　approbation　of

your　MOTHER　confers　upon　you　now。　　You　will　then　labor　for

yourself　directly　and　at　FIRST　HAND；　not　by　the　roundabout　way

through　your　mother。　　It　simplifies　the　matter；　and　it　also

strengthens　the　impulse。



Y。M。　　Ah；　dear！　　But　I　sha'n't　ever　reach　the　point　where　I

will　spare　the　girl　for　HER　sake　PRIMARILY；　not　mine？



O。M。　　Whyyes。　　In　heaven。



Y。M。　　（AFTER　A　REFLECTIVE　PAUSE）　　Temperament。　　Well；　I　see

one　must　allow　for　temperament。　　It　is　a　large　factor；　sure

enough。　　My　mother　is　thoughtful；　and　not　hot…tempered。　　When　I

was　dressed　I　went　to　her　room；　she　was　not　there；　I　called；　she

answered　from　the　bathroom。　　I　heard　the　water　running。　　I

inquired。　　She　answered；　without　temper；　that　Jane　had　forgotten

her　bath；　and　she　was　preparing　it　herself。　　I　offered　to　ring；

but　she　said；　〃No；　don't　do　that；　it　would　only　distress　her　to

be　confronted　with　her　lapse；　and　would　be　a　rebuke；　she　doesn't

deserve　thatshe　is　not　to　blame　for　the　tricks　her　memory

serves　her。〃　　I　sayhas　my　mother　an　Interior　Master？and　where

was　he？



O。M。　　He　was　there。　　There；　and　looking　out　for　his　own

peace　and　pleasure　and　contentment。　　The　girl's　distress　would

have　pained　YOUR　MOTHER。　　Otherwise　the　girl　would　have　been　rung

up；　distress　and　all。　　I　know　women　who　would　have　gotten　a　No。　1

PLEASURE　out　of　ringing　Jane　upand　so　they　would　infallibly

have　pushed　the　button　and　obeyed　the　law　of　their　make　and

training；　which　are　the　servants　of　their　Interior　Masters。　　It

is　quite　likely　that　a　part　of　your　mother's　forbearance　came

from　training。　　The　GOOD　kind　of　trainingwhose　best　and　highest

function　is　to　see　to　it　that　every　time　it　confers　a

satisfaction　upon　its　pupil　a　benefit　shall　fall　at　second　hand

upon　others。



Y。M。　　If　you　were　going　to　condense　into　an　admonition　your

plan　for　the　general　betterment　of　the　race's　condition；　how

would　you　word　it？







Admonition



O。M。　　Diligently　train　your　ideals　UPWARD　and　STILL　UPWARD

toward　a　summit　where　you　will　find　your　chiefest　pleasure　in

conduct　which；　while　contenting　you；　will　be　sure　to　confer

benefits　upon　your　neighbor　and　the　community。



Y。M。　　Is　that　a　new　gospel？



O。M。　　No。



Y。M。　　It　has　been　taught　before？



O。M。　　For　ten　thousand　years。



Y。M。　　By　whom？



O。M。　　All　the　great　religionsall　the　great　gospels。



Y。M。　　Then　there　is　nothing　new　about　it？



O。M。　　Oh　yes；　there　is。　　It　is　candidly　stated；　this　time。

That　has　not　been　done　before。



Y。M。　　How　do　you　mean？



O。M。　　Haven't　I　put　YOU　FIRST；　and　your　neighbor　and　the

community　AFTERWARD？



Y。M。　　Well；　yes；　that　is　a　difference；　it　is　true。



O。M。　　The　difference　between　straight　speaking　and　crooked；

the　difference　between　frankness　and　shuffling。



Y。M。　　Explain。



O。M。　　The　others　offer　your　a　hundred　bribes　to　be　good；

thus　conceding　that　the　Master　inside　of　you　must　be　conciliated

and　contented　first；　and　that　you　will　do　nothing　at　FIRST　HAND

but　for　his　sake；　then　they　turn　square　around　and　require　you　to

do　good　for　OTHER'S　sake　CHIEFLY；　and　to　do　your　duty　for　duty's

SAKE；　chiefly；　and　to　do　acts　of　SELF…SACRIFICE。　　Thus　at　the

outset　we　all　stand　upon　the　same　groundrecognition　of　the

supreme　and　absolute　Monarch　that　resides　in　man；　and　we　all

grovel　before　him　and　appeal　to　him；　then　those　others　dodge　and

shuffle；　and　face　around　and　unfrankly　and　inconsistently　and

illogically　change　the　form　of　their　appeal　and　direct　its

persuasions　to　man's　SECOND…PLACE　powers　and　to　powers　which　have

NO　EXISTENCE　in　him；　thus　advancing　them　to　FIRST　place；　whereas

in　my　Admonition　I　stick　logically　and　consistently　to　the

original　position：　　I　place　the　Interior　Master's　requirements

FIRST；　and　keep　them　there。



Y。M。　　If　we　grant；　for　the　sake　of　argument；　that　your

scheme　and　the　other　schemes　aim　at　and　produce　the　same　result

RIGHT　LIVINGhas　yours　an　advantage　over　the　others？



O。M。　　One；　yesa　large　one。　　It　has　no　concealments；　no

deceptions。　　When　a　man　leads　a　right　and　valuable　life　under　it

he　is　not　deceived　as　to　the　REAL　chief　motive　which　impels　him

to　itin　those　other　cases　he　is。



Y。M。　　Is　that　an　advantage？　　Is　it　an　advantage　to　live　a

lofty　life　for　a　mean　reason？　　In　the　other　cases　he　lives　the

lofty　life　under　the　IMPRESSION　that　he　is　living　for　a　lofty

reason。　　Is　not　that　an　advantage？



O。M。　　Perhaps　so。　　The　same　advantage　he　might　get　out　of

thinking　himself　a　duke；　and　living　a　duke's　life　and　parading　in

ducal　fuss　and　feathers；　when　he　wasn't　a　duke　at　all；　and　could

find　it　out　if　he　would　only　examine　the　herald's　records。



Y。M。　　But　anyway；　he　is　obliged　to　do　a　duke's　part；　he　puts

his　hand　in　his　pocket　and　does　his　benevolences　on　as　big　a

scale　as　he　can　stand；　and　that　benefits　the　community。



O。M。　　He　could　do　that　without　being　a　duke。



Y。M。　　But　would　he？



O。M。　　Don't　you　see　where　you　are　arriving？



Y。M。　　Where？



O。M。　　At　the　standpoint　of　the　other　schemes：　　That　it　is

good　morals　to　let　an　ignorant　duke　do　showy　benevolences　for　his

pride's　sake；　a　pretty　low　motive；　and　go　on　doing　them　unwarned；

lest　if　he　were　made　acquainted　with　the　actual　motive　which

prompted　them　he　might　shut　up　his　purse　and　cease　to　be　good？



Y。M。　　But　isn't　it　best　to　leave　him　in　ignorance；　as　long

as　he　THINKS　he　is　doing　good　for　others'　sake？



O。M。　　Perhaps　so。　　It　is　the　position　of　the　other　schemes。

They　think　humbug　is　good　enough　morals　when　the　dividend　on　it

is　good　deeds　and　handsome　conduct。