the ragged trousered philanthropists-第134章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
on any form of enjoyment … an occasional glass of beer or a still rarer visit to a music…hall and now and then an outing more or less similar to this being the sum total of their pleasures。
These four brakes might fitly be regarded as so many travelling lunatic asylums； the inmates of each exhibiting different degrees and forms of mental disorder。
The occupants of the first … Rushton； Didlum and Co。 … might be classed as criminal lunatics who injured others as well as themselves。 In a properly constituted system of society such men as these would be regarded as a danger to the community； and would be placed under such restraint as would effectually prevent them from harming themselves or others。 These wretches had abandoned every thought and thing that tends to the elevation of humanity。 They had given up everything that makes life good and beautiful； in order to carry on a mad struggle to acquire money which they would never be sufficiently cultured to properly enjoy。 Deaf and blind to every other consideration； to this end they had degraded their intellects by concentrating them upon the minutest details of expense and profit； and for their reward they raked in their harvest of muck and lucre along with the hatred and curses of those they injured in the process。 They knew that the money they accumulated was foul with the sweat of their brother men； and wet with the tears of little children； but they were deaf and blind and callous to the consequences of their greed。 Devoid of every ennobling thought or aspiration； they grovelled on the filthy ground； tearing up the flowers to get at the worms。
In the coach presided over by Crass； Bill Bates； the Semi…drunk and the other two or three habitual boozers were all men who had been driven mad by their environment。 At one time most of them had been fellows like Harlow； working early and late whenever they got the chance； only to see their earnings swallowed up in a few minutes every Saturday by the landlord and all the other host of harpies and profitmongers； who were waiting to demand it as soon as it was earned。 In the years that were gone； most of these men used to take all their money home religiously every Saturday and give it to the ‘old girl' for the house； and then； lo and behold； in a moment； yea； even in the twinkling of an eye； it was all gone！ Melted away like snow in the sun！ and nothing to show for it except an insufficiency of the bare necessaries of life！ But after a time they had become heartbroken and sick and tired of that sort of thing。 They hankered after a little pleasure； a little excitement； a little fun； and they found that it was possible to buy something like those in quart pots at the pub。 They knew they were not the genuine articles； but they were better than nothing at all； and so they gave up the practice of giving all their money to the old girl to give to the landlord and the other harpies； and bought beer with some of it instead； and after a time their minds became so disordered from drinking so much of this beer； that they cared nothing whether the rent was paid or not。 They cared but little whether the old girl and the children had food or clothes。 They said； ‘To hell with everything and everyone；' and they cared for nothing so long as they could get plenty of beer。
The occupants of Nimrod's coach have already been described and most of them may correctly be classed as being similar to cretin idiots of the third degree … very cunning and selfish； and able to read and write； but with very little understanding of what they read except on the most common topics。
As for those who rode with Harlow in the last coach； most of them； as has been already intimated； were men of similar character to himself。 The greater number of them fairly good workmen and … unlike the boozers in Crass's coach … not yet quite heartbroken； but still continuing the hopeless struggle against poverty。 These differed from Nimrod's lot inasmuch as they were not content。 They were always complaining of their wretched circumstances； and found a certain kind of pleasure in listening to the tirades of the Socialists against the existing social conditions； and professing their concurrence with many of the sentiments expressed； and a desire to bring about a better state of affairs。
Most of them appeared to be quite sane； being able to converse intelligently on any ordinary subject without discovering any symptoms of mental disorder； and it was not until the topic of Parliamentary elections was mentioned that evidence of their insanity was forthcoming。 It then almost invariably appeared that they were subject to the most extraordinary hallucinations and extravagant delusions； the commonest being that the best thing that the working people could do to bring about an improvement in their condition； was to continue to elect their Liberal and Tory employers to make laws for and to rule over them！ At such times； if anyone ventured to point out to them that that was what they had been doing all their lives； and referred them to the manifold evidences that met them wherever they turned their eyes of its folly and futility； they were generally immediately seized with a paroxysm of the most furious mania； and were with difficulty prevented from savagely assaulting those who differed from them。
They were usually found in a similar condition of maniacal excitement for some time preceding and during a Parliamentary election； but afterwards they usually manifested that modification of insanity which is called melancholia。 In fact they alternated between these two forms of the disease。 During elections； the highest state of exalted mania； and at ordinary times … presumably as a result of reading about the proceedings in Parliament of the persons whom they had elected … in a state of melancholic depression； in their case an instance of hope deferred making the heart sick。
This condition occasionally proved to be the stage of transition into yet another modification of the disease … that known as dipsomania； the phase exhibited by Bill Bates and the Semi…drunk。
Yet another form of insanity was that shown by the Socialists。 Like most of their fellow passengers in the last coach； the majority of these individuals appeared to be of perfectly sound mind。 Upon entering into conversation with them one found that they reasoned correctly and even brilliantly。 They had divided their favourite subject into three parts。 First； an exact definition of the condition known as Poverty。 Secondly； a knowledge of the causes of Poverty； and thirdly； a rational plan for the cure of Poverty。 Those who were opposed to them always failed to refute their arguments； and feared； and nearly always refused； to meet them in fair fight … in open debate … preferring to use the cowardly and despicable weapons of slander and misrepresentation。 The fact that these Socialists never encountered their opponents except to defeat them； was a powerful testimony to the accuracy of their reasonings and the correctness of their conclusions … and yet they were undoubtedly mad。 One might converse with them for an indefinite time on the three divisions of their subject without eliciting any proofs of insanity； but directly one inquired what means they proposed to employ in order to bring about the adoption of their plan； they replied that they hoped to do so by reasoning with the others！
Although they had sense enough to understand the real causes of poverty； and the only cure for poverty； they were nevertheless so foolish that they entertained the delusion that it is possible to reason with demented persons； whereas every sane person knows that to reason with a maniac is not only fruitless； but rather tends to fix more deeply the erroneous impressions of his disordered mind。
The wagonette containing Rushton and his friends continued to fly over the road； pursued by the one in which rode Crass； Bill Bates； and the Semi…drunk； but notwithstanding all the efforts of the drunken driver； they were unable to overtake or pass the smaller vehicle； and when they reached the foot of the hill that led up to Windley the distance between the two carriages rapidly increased； and the race was reluctantly abandoned。
