the soul of the far east-第6章

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n；　such　a　primitive　state　of　society　has　continued　there　to　the　present　day；　in　all　its　essentials　what　it　was　when　as　nomads　the　race　forefathers　wandered　peacefully　or　otherwise　over　the　plains　of　Central　Asia。　　The　principle　helped　them　to　expand；　it　has　simply　cramped　them　ever　since。　　For；　instead　of　dissolving　like　other　antiquated　views；　it　has　become；　what　it　was　bound　to　become　if　it　continued　to　last；　crystallized　into　an　institution。　　It　had　practically　reached　this　condition　when　it　received　a　theoretical；　not　to　say　a　theological　recognition　which　gave　it　mundane　immortality。　　A　couple　of　millenniums　ago　Confucius　consecrated　filial　duty　by　making　it　the　basis　of　the　Chinese　moral　code。　　His　hand　was　the　finishing　touch　of　fossilification。　For　since　the　sage　set　his　seal　upon　the　system　no　one　has　so　much　as　dreamt　of　changing　it。　　The　idea　of　confuting　Confucius　would　be　an　act　of　impiety　such　as　no　Chinaman　could　possibly　commit。　　Not　that　the　inadmissibility　of　argument　is　due　really　to　the　authority　of　the　philosopher；　but　that　it　lies　ingrained　in　the　character　of　the　people。　　Indeed　the　genius　of　the　one　may　be　said　to　have　consisted　in　divining　the　genius　of　the　other。　　Confucius　formulated　the　prevailing　practice；　and　in　so　doing　helped　to　make　it　perpetual。　　He　gave　expression　to　the　national　feeling；　and　like　expressions；　generally　his；　served　to　stamp　the　idea　all　the　more　indelibly　upon　the　national　consciousness。

In　this　manner　the　family　from　a　natural　relation　grew　into　a　highly　unnatural　social　anachronism。　　The　loose　ties　of　a　roving　life　became　fetters　of　a　fixed　conventionality。　　Bonds　originally　of　mutual　advantage　hardened　into　restrictions　by　which　the　young　were　hopelessly　tethered　to　the　old。　　Midway　in　its　course　the　race　undertook　to　turn　round　and　face　backwards；　as　it　journeyed　on。　Its　subsequent　advance　could　be　nothing　but　slow。

The　head　of　a　family　is　so　now　in　something　of　a　corporeal　sense。　From　him　emanate　all　its　actions；　to　him　are　responsible　all　its　parts。　Any　other　member　of　it　is　as　incapable　of　individual　expression　as　is　the　hand；　or　the　foot；　or　the　eye　of　man。　　Indeed；　Confucian　doctors　of　divinity　might　appropriately　administer　psychically　to　the　egoistic　the　rebuke　of　the　Western　physician　to　the　too　self…analytic　youth　who；　finding　that；　after　eating；　his　digestion　failed　to　give　him　what　he　considered　its　proper　sensations；　had　come　to　consult　the　doctor　as　to　how　it　ought　to　feel。　　〃Feel！　young　man；〃　he　was　answered；　〃you　ought　not　to　be　aware　that　you　have　a　digestion。〃　So　with　them；　a　normally　constituted　son　knows　not　what　it　is　to　possess　a　spontaneity　of　his　own。　　Indeed；　this　very　word　〃own；〃　which　so　long　ago　in　our　own　tongue　took　to　itself　the　symbol　of　possession；　well　exemplifies　his　dependent　state。　　China　furnishes　the　most　conspicuous　instance　of　the　want　of　individual　rights。　A　Chinese　son　cannot　properly　be　said　to　own　anything。　　The　title　to　the　land　he　tills　is　vested　absolutely　in　the　family；　of　which　he　is　an　undivided　thirtieth；　or　what…not。　　Even　the　administration　of　the　property　is　not　his；　but　resides　in　the　family；　represented　by　its　head。　　The　outward　symbols　of　ownership　testify　to　the　fact。　The　bourns　that　mark　the　boundaries　of　the　fields　bear　the　names　of　families；　not　of　individuals。　　The　family；　as　such；　is　the　proprietor；　and　its　lands　are　cultivated　and　enjoyed　in　common　by　all　the　constituents　of　the　clan。　　In　the　tenure　of　its　real　estate；　the　Chinese　family　much　resembles　the　Russian　Mir。　　But　so　far　as　his　personal　state　is　concerned；　the　Chinese　son　outslaves　the　Slav。　　For　he　lives　at　home；　under　the　immediate　control　of　the　paternal　willin　the　most　complete　of　serfdoms；　a　filial　one。　Even　existence　becomes　a　communal　affair。　　From　the　family　mansion；　or　set　of　mansions；　in　which　all　its　members　dwell；　to　the　family　mausoleum；　to　which　they　will　all　eventually　be　borne；　a　man　makes　his　life　journey　in　strict　company　with　his　kin。

A　man's　life　is　thus　but　an　undivisible　fraction　of　the　family　life。　How　essentially　so　will　appear　from　the　following　slight　sketch　of　it。

To　begin　at　the　beginning；　his　birth　is　a　very　important　eventfor　the　household；　at　which　no　one　fails　to　rejoice　except　the　new…comer。　He　cries。　　The　general　joy；　however；　depends　somewhat　upon　his　sex。　　If　the　baby　chances　to　be　a　boy；　everybody　is　immensely　pleased；　if　a　girl；　there　is　considerably　less　effusion　shown。　　In　the　latter　case　the　more　impulsive　relatives　are　unmistakably　sorry；　the　more　philosophic　evidently　hope　for　better　luck　next　time。　　Both　kinds　make　very　pretty　speeches；　which　not　even　the　speakers　believe；　for　in　the　babe　lottery　the　family　is　considered　to　have　drawn　a　blank。　　A　delight　so　engendered　proves　how　little　of　the　personal；　even　in　prospective；　attaches　to　its　object。　　The　reason　for　the　invidious　distinction　in　the　matter　of　sex　lies　of　course　in　an　inordinate　desire　for　the　perpetuation　of　the　family　line。　　The　unfortunate　infant　is　regarded　merely　in　the　light　of　a　possible　progenitor。　A　boy　is　already　potentially　a　father；　whereas　a　girl；　if　she　marry　at　all；　is　bound　to　marry　out　of　her　own　family　into　another；　and　is　relatively　lost。　　The　full　force　of　the　deprivation　is；　however；　to　some　degree　tempered　by　the　almost　infinite　possibilities　of　adoption。　　Daughters　are；　therefore；　not　utterly　unmitigable　evils。

From　the　privacy　of　the　domestic　circle；　the　infant's　entrance　into　public　life　is　performed　pick…a…back。　　Strapped　securely　to　the　shoulders　of　a　slightly　older　sister；　out　he　goes；　consigned　to　the　tender　mercies　of　a　being　who　is　scarcely　more　than　a　baby　herself。　The　diminutiveness　of　the　nurse…perambulators　is　the　most　surprising　part　of　the　performance。　　The　tiniest　of　tots　may　be　seen　thus　toddling　round　with　burdens　half　their　own　size。　　Like　the　dot　upon　the　little　i；　the　baby's　head　seems　a　natural　part　of　their　childish　ego。

An　economy　of　the　kind　in　the　matter　of　nurses　is　highly　suggestive。　That　it　should　be　practicable　thus　to　entrust　one　infant　to　another　proves　the　precociousness　of　children。　　But　this　surprising　maturity　of　the　young　implies　by　a　law　too　well　known　to　need　explanation；　the　consequent　immaturity　of　the　race。　　That　which　has　less　to　grow　up　to；　naturally　grows　up　to　its　limit　sooner。　　It　may　even　be　questioned　whether　it　does　not　do　so　with　the　more　haste；　on　the　same　principle　that　a　runner　who　has　less　distance　to　travel　not　only　accomplishes　his　course　quicker；　but　moves　with　relatively　greater　speed；　or　as　a　small　planet　grows　old　not　simply　sooner；　but　comparatively　faster　than　a　larger　one。　　Jupiter　is　still　in　his　fiery　youth；　while　the　moon　is　senile　in　decrepid　old　age；　and　yet　his　separate　existence　began　long　before　hers。　　Either　hypothesis　will　explain　the　abnormally　early　development　of　the　Chinese　race；　and　its　subsequent　career　of　inactivity。　　Meanwhile　the　youthful　nurse；　in　blissful　ignorance　of　the　evidence　which　her　present　precocity　affords　against　her　future　possibilities；　pursues　her　sports　with　intermittent　attention　to　her　charge；　whose　poor　little　head　lolls　about；　now　on　one　side　and　now　on　the　other；　in　a　most　distressingly　loose　manner；　an　uninterested　spectator　of　the　proceedings。

As　soon　as　the　babe　gets　a　trifle　bigger　he　ceases　to　be　ministered　to　and　begins　his　long　course　of　ministering　to　others。　　His　home　life　consists　of　attentive　subordination。　　The　relation　his　obedience　bears　to　that　of　children　elsewhere　is　paralleled　perhaps　sufficiently　by　the　comparative　importance　attached　to　precepts　on　the　subject　in　the　respective　moral　codes。　　The　commandment　〃honor　thy　father〃　forms　a　tithe　of　the　Mosaic　law；　while　the　same　injunction　constitutes　at　least　one　half　of　the　Confucian　precepts。　To　the　Chinese　child　all　the　parental　commands　are　not　simply　law　to　the　letter；　they　are　to　be　anticipated　in　the　spirit。　　To　do　what　he　is　told　is　but　the　merest　fraction　of　his　duty；　theoretically　his　only　thought　is　how　to　serve　his　sire。　　The　pious　Aeneas　escaping　from　Troy　exemplifies　his　conduct　when　it　comes　to　a　question　of　domestic　precedence；whose　first　care；　it　will　be　remembered；　was　for　his　father；　his　next　for　his　son；　and　his　last　for　hi