the people of the abyss(深渊居民)-第53章
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they had never known and yearned。 Did Destiny to…day bind me down to
the life of an East End slave for the rest of my years； and did Destiny grant
me but one wish； I should ask that I might forget all about the Beautiful
and True and Good； that I might forget all I had learned from the open
books； and forget the people I had known； the things I had heard； and the
lands I had seen。 And if Destiny didn't grant it； I am pretty confident that
I should get drunk and forget it as often as possible。
These people who try to help！ Their college settlements； missions；
charities； and what not； are failures。 In the nature of things they cannot
but be failures。 They are wrongly； though sincerely； conceived。 They
approach life through a misunderstanding of life； these good folk。 They
do not understand the West End； yet they come down to the East End as
teachers and savants。 They do not understand the simple sociology of
Christ； yet they come to the miserable and the despised with the pomp of
social redeemers。 They have worked faithfully； but beyond relieving an
infinitesimal fraction of misery and collecting a certain amount of data
which might otherwise have been more scientifically and less expensively
collected； they have achieved nothing。
As some one has said； they do everything for the poor except get off
their backs。 The very money they dribble out in their child's schemes has
been wrung from the poor。 They come from a race of successful and
predatory bipeds who stand between the worker and his wages； and they
try to tell the worker what he shall do with the pitiful balance left to him。
Of what use； in the name of God； is it to establish nurseries for women
workers； in which； for instance； a child is taken while the mother makes
violets in Islington at three farthings a gross； when more children and
violet…makers than they can cope with are being born right along？ This
violet…maker handles each flower four times； 576 handlings for three
farthings； and in the day she handles the flowers 6912 times for a wage of
ninepence。 She is being robbed。 Somebody is on her back； and a
yearning for the Beautiful and True and Good will not lighten her burden。
They do nothing for her； these dabblers； and what they do not do for the
mother； undoes at night； when the child comes home； all that they have
done for the child in the day。
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And one and all； they join in teaching a fundamental lie。 They do not
know it is a lie； but their ignorance does not make it more of a truth。 And
the lie they preach is 〃thrift。〃 An instant will demonstrate it。 In
overcrowded London； the struggle for a chance to work is keen； and
because of this struggle wages sink to the lowest means of subsistence。
To be thrifty means for a worker to spend less than his incomein other
words； to live on less。 This is equivalent to a lowering of the standard of
living。 In the competition for a chance to work； the man with a lower
standard of living will underbid the man with a higher standard。 And a
small group of such thrifty workers in any overcrowded industry will
permanently lower the wages of that industry。 And the thrifty ones will
no longer be thrifty； for their income will have been reduced till it balances
their expenditure。
In short； thrift negates thrift。 If every worker in England should heed
the preachers of thrift and cut expenditure in half； the condition of there
being more men to work than there is work to do would swiftly cut wages
in half。 And then none of the workers of England would be thrifty； for
they would be living up to their diminished incomes。 The short…sighted
thrift…preachers would naturally be astounded at the outcome。 The
measure of their failure would be precisely the measure of the success of
their propaganda。 And； anyway； it is sheer bosh and nonsense to preach
thrift to the 1；800；000 London workers who are divided into families
which have a total income of less than 21s。 per week； one quarter to one
half of which must be paid for rent。
Concerning the futility of the people who try to help； I wish to make
one notable； noble exception； namely； the Dr。 Barnardo Homes。 Dr。
Barnardo is a child…catcher。 First； he catches them when they are young；
before they are set； hardened； in the vicious social mould； and then he
sends them away to grow up and be formed in another and better social
mould。 Up to date he has sent out of the country 13；340 boys； most of
them to Canada； and not one in fifty has failed。 A splendid record； when
it is considered that these lads are waifs and strays； homeless and
parentless； jerked out from the very bottom of the Abyss； and forty…nine
out of fifty of them made into men。
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Every twenty…four hours in the year Dr。 Barnardo snatches nine waifs
from the streets； so the enormous field he has to work in may be
comprehended。 The people who try to help have something to learn from
him。 He does not play with palliatives。 He traces social viciousness
and misery to their sources。 He removes the progeny of the gutter…folk
from their pestilential environment； and gives them a healthy； wholesome
environment in which to be pressed and prodded and moulded into men。
When the people who try to help cease their playing and dabbling with
day nurseries and Japanese art exhibits and go back and learn their West
End and the sociology of Christ； they will be in better shape to buckle
down to the work they ought to be doing in the world。 And if they do
buckle down to the work； they will follow Dr。 Barnardo's lead； only on a
scale as large as the nation is large。 They won't cram yearnings for the
Beautiful； and True； and Good down the throat of the woman making
violets for three farthings a gross； but they will make somebody get off her
back and quit cramming himself till； like the Romans； he must go to a bath
and sweat it out。 And to their consternation； they will find that they will
have to get off that woman's back themselves； as well as the backs of a
few other women and children they did not dream they were riding upon。
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THE PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS
CHAPTER XXVIITHE
MANAGEMENT
In this final chapter it were well to look at the Social Abyss in its
widest aspect； and to put certain questions to Civilisation； by the answers
to which Civilisation must stand or fall。 For instance； has Civilisation
bettered the lot of man？ 〃Man；〃 I use in its democratic sense； meaning
the average man。 So the question re… shapes itself： HAS
CIVILISATION BETTERED THE LOT OF THE AVERAGE MAN？
Let us see。
