in darkest england and the way out-第4章

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in　as　complete；　of　ravishments　as　horrible；　as　if　we　were　in　Central　Africa；　only　the　ghastly　devastation　is　covered；　corpselike；　with　the　artificialities　and　hypocrisies　of　modern　civilisation。

The　lot　of　a　negress　in　the　Equatorial　Forest　is　not；　perhaps；　a　very　happy　one；　but　is　it　so　very　much　worse　than　that　of　many　a　pretty　orphan　girl　in　our　Christian　capital？　　We　talk　about　the　brutalities　of　the　dark　ages；　and　we　profess　to　shudder　as　we　read　in　books　of　the　shameful　exaction　of　the　rights　of　feudal　superior。　　And　yet　here；　beneath　our　very　eyes；　in　our　theatres；　in　our　restaurants；　and　in　many　other　places；　unspeakable　though　it　be　but　to　name　it；　the　same　hideous　abuse　flourishes　unchecked。　　A　young　penniless　girl；　if　she　be　pretty；　is　often　hunted　from　pillar　to　post　by　her　employers；　confronted　always　by　the　alternativeStarve　or　Sin。　　And　when　once　the　poor　girl　has　consented　to　buy　the　right　to　earn　her　living　by　the　sacrifice　of　her　virtue；　then　she　is　treated　as　a　slave　and　an　outcast　by　the　very　men　who　have　ruined　her。　　Her　word　becomes　unbelievable；　her　life　an　ignominy；　and　she　is　swept　downward　ever　downward；　into　the　bottomless　perdition　of　prostitution。　　But　there；　even　in　the　lowest　depths；　excommunicated　by　Humanity　and　outcast　from　God；　she　is　far　nearer　the　pitying　heart　of　the　One　true　Saviour　than　all　the　men　who　forced　her　down；　aye；　and　than　all　the　Pharisees　and　Scribes　who　stand　silently　by　while　these　Fiendish　wrongs　are　perpetrated　before　their　very　eyes。

The　blood　boils　with　impotent　rage　at　the　sight　of　these　enormities；　callously　inflicted；　and　silently　borne　by　these　miserable　victims。　Nor　is　it　only　women　who　are　the　victims；　although　their　fate　is　the　most　tragic。　　Those　firms　which　reduce　sweating　to　a　fine　art；　who　systematically　and　deliberately　defraud　the　workman　of　his　pay；　who　grind　the　faces　of　the　poor；　and　who　rob　the　widow　and　the　orphan；　and　who　for　a　pretence　make　great　professions　of　public　spirit　and　philanthropy；　these　men　nowadays　are　sent　to　Parliament　to　make　laws　for　the　people。　　The　old　prophets　sent　them　to　Hellbut　we　have　changed　all　that。　　They　send　their　victims　to　Hell；　and　are　rewarded　by　all　that　wealth　can　do　to　make　their　lives　comfortable。　　Read　the　House　of　Lords'　Report　on　the　Sweating　System；　and　ask　if　any　African　slave　system；　making　due　allowance　for　the　superior　civilisation；　and　therefore　sensitiveness；　of　the　victims；　reveals　more　misery。

Darkest　England；　like　Darkest　Africa；　reeks　with　malaria。　　The　foul　and　fetid　breath　of　our　slums　is　almost　as　poisonous　as　that　of　the　African　swamp。　　Fever　is　almost　as　chronic　there　as　on　the　Equator。　　Every　year　thousands　of　children　are　killed　off　by　what　is　called　defects　of　our　sanitary　system。　　They　are　in　reality　starved　and　poisoned；　and　all　that　can　be　said　is　that；　in　many　cases；　it　is　better　for　them　that　they　were　taken　away　from　the　trouble　to　come。

Just　as　in　Darkest　Africa　it　is　only　a　part　of　the　evil　and　misery　that　comes　from　the　superior　race　who　invade　the　forest　to　enslave　and　massacre　its　miserable　inhabitants；　so　with　us；　much　of　the　misery　of　those　whose　lot　we　are　considering　arises　from　their　own　habits。　Drunkenness　and　all　manner　of　uncleanness；　moral　and　physical；　abound。　Have　you　ever　watched　by　the　bedside　of　a　man　in　delirium　tremens？　Multiply　the　sufferings　of　that　one　drunkard　by　the　hundred　thousand；　and　you　have　some　idea　of　what　scenes　are　being　witnessed　in　all　our　great　cities　at　this　moment。　　As　in　Africa　streams　intersect　the　forest　in　every　direction；　so　the　gin…shop　stands　at　every　corner　with　its　River　of　the　Water　of　Death　flowing　seventeen　hours　out　of　the　twenty…four　for　the　destruction　of　the　people。　　A　population　sodden　with　drink；　steeped　in　vice；　eaten　up　by　every　social　and　physical　malady；　these　are　the　denizens　of　Darkest　England　amidst　whom　my　life　has　been　spent；　and　to　whose　rescue　I　would　now　summon　all　that　is　best　in　the　manhood　and　womanhood　of　our　land。

But　this　book　is　no　mere　lamentation　of　despair。　　For　Darkest　England；　as　for　Darkest　Africa；　there　is　a　light　beyond。　　I　think　I　see　my　way　out；　a　way　by　which　these　wretched　ones　may　escape　from　the　gloom　of　their　miserable　existence　into　a　higher　and　happier　life。　Long　wandering　in　the　Forest　of　the　Shadow　of　Death　at　out　doors；　has　familiarised　me　with　its　horrors；　but　while　the　realisation　is　a　vigorous　spur　to　action　it　has　never　been　so　oppressive　as　to　extinguish　hope。　　Mr。　Stanley　never　succumbed　to　the　terrors　which　oppressed　his　followers。　　He　had　lived　in　a　larger　life；　and　knew　that　the　forest；　though　long；　was　not　interminable。　　Every　step　forward　brought　him　nearer　his　destined　goal；　nearer　to　the　light　of　the　sun；　the　clear　sky；　and　the　rolling　uplands　of　the　grazing　land。　Therefore　he　did　not　despair。　　The　Equatorial　Forest　was；　after　all；　a　mere　corner　of　one　quarter　of　the　world。　　In　the　knowledge　of　the　light　outside；　in　the　confidence　begotten　by　past　experience　of　successful　endeavour；　he　pressed　forward；　and　when　the　160　days'　struggle　was　over；　he　and　his　men　came　out　into　a　pleasant　place　where　the　land　smiled　with　peace　and　plenty；　and　their　hardships　and　hunger　were　forgotten　in　the　joy　of　a　great　deliverance。

So　I　venture　to　believe　it　will　be　with　us。　　But　the　end　is　not　yet。　We　are　still　in　the　depths　of　the　depressing　gloom。　　It　is　in　no　spirit　of　light…heartedness　that　this　book　is　sent　forth　into　the　world　as　if　it　was　written　some　ten　years　ago。

If　this　were　the　first　time　that　this　wail　of　hopeless　misery　had　sounded　on　our　ears　the　matter　would　have　been　less　serious。　　It　is　because　we　have　heard　it　so　often　that　the　case　is　so　desperate。　The　exceeding　bitter　cry　of　the　disinherited　has　become　to　be　as　familiar　in　the　ears　of　men　as　the　dull　roar　of　the　streets　or　as　the　moaning　of　the　wind　through　the　trees。　　And　so　it　rises　unceasing；　year　in　and　year　out；　and　we　are　too　busy　or　too　idle；　too　indifferent　or　too　selfish；　to　spare　it　a　thought。　　Only　now　and　then；　on　rare　occasions；　when　some　clear　voice　is　heard　giving　more　articulate　utterance　to　the　miseries　of　the　miserable　men；　do　we　pause　in　the　regular　routine　of　our　daily　duties；　and　shudder　as　we　realise　for　one　brief　moment　what　life　means　to　the　inmates　of　the　Slums。　　But　one　of　the　grimmest　social　problems　of　our　time　should　be　sternly　faced；　not　with　a　view　to　the　generation　of　profitless　emotion；　but　with　a　view　to　its　solution。

Is　it　not　time？　　There　is；　it　is　true；　an　audacity　in　the　mere　suggestion　that　the　problem　is　not　insoluble　that　is　enough　to　take　away　the　breath。　　But　can　nothing　be　done？　　If；　after　full　and　exhaustive　consideration；　we　come　to　the　deliberate　conclusion　that　nothing　can　be　done；　and　that　it　is　the　inevitable　and　inexorable　destiny　of　thousands　of　Englishmen　to　be　brutalised　into　worse　than　beasts　by　the　condition　of　their　environment；　so　be　it。　　But　if；　on　the　contrary；　we　are　unable　to　believe　that　this　〃awful　slough；〃　which　engulfs　the　manhood　and　womanhood　of　generation　after　generation　is　incapable　of　removal；　and　if　the　heart　and　intellect　of　mankind　alike　revolt　against　the　fatalism　of　despair；　then；　indeed；　it　is　time；　and　high　time；　that　the　question　were　faced　in　no　mere　dilettante　spirit；　but　with　a　resolute　determination　to　make　an　end　of　the　crying　scandal　of　our　age。

What　a　satire　it　is　upon　our　Christianity　and　our　civilisation　that　the　existence　of　these　colonies　of　heathens　and　savages　in　the　heart　of　our　capital　should　attract　so　little　attention！　　It　is　no　better　than　a　ghastly　mockerytheologians　might　use　a　stronger　wordto　call　by　the　name　of　One　who　came　to　seek　and　to　save　that　which　was　lost　those　Churches　which　in　the　midst　of　lost　multitudes　either　sleep　in　apathy　or　display　a　fitful　interest　in　a　chasuble。　　Why　all　this　apparatus　of　temples　and　meeting…houses　to　save　men　from　perdition　in　a　world　which　is　to　come；　while　never　a　helping　hand　is　stretched　out　to　save　them　from　the　inferno　of　their　present　life？　　Is　it　not　time　that；　forgetting　for　a　moment　their　wranglings　about　the　infinitely　little　or　infinitely　obscure；　they　should　concentrate　all　their　energies　on　a　united　effort　to　break　this　terrible　perpetuity　of　perdition；　and