the way of all flesh-第6章

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exertion　in　the　grandson。　　A　very　successful　man；　moreover；　has
something　of　the　hybrid　in　him；　he　is　a　new　animal；　arising　from　the
coming　together　of　many　unfamiliar　elements　and　it　is　well　known
that　the　reproduction　of　abnormal　growths；　whether　animal　or
vegetable；　is　irregular　and　not　to　be　depended　upon；　even　when　they
are　not　absolutely　sterile。

And　certainly　Mr　Pontifex's　success　was　exceedingly　rapid。　　Only　a
few　years　after　he　had　become　a　partner　his　uncle　and　aunt　both　died
within　a　few　months　of　one　another。　　It　was　then　found　that　they　had
made　him　their　heir。　　He　was　thus　not　only　sole　partner　in　the
business　but　found　himself　with　a　fortune　of　some　30；000　pounds　into
the　bargain；　and　this　was　a　large　sum　in　those　days。　　Money　came
pouring　in　upon　him；　and　the　faster　it　came　the　fonder　he　became　of
it；　though；　as　he　frequently　said；　he　valued　it　not　for　its　own
sake；　but　only　as　a　means　of　providing　for　his　dear　children。

Yet　when　a　man　is　very　fond　of　his　money　it　is　not　easy　for　him　at
all　times　to　be　very　fond　of　his　children　also。　　The　two　are　like
God　and　Mammon。　　Lord　Macaulay　has　a　passage　in　which　he　contrasts
the　pleasures　which　a　man　may　derive　from　books　with　the
inconveniences　to　which　he　may　be　put　by　his　acquaintances。
〃Plato；〃　he　says；　〃is　never　sullen。　　Cervantes　is　never　petulant。
Demosthenes　never　comes　unseasonably。　　Dante　never　stays　too　long。
No　difference　of　political　opinion　can　alienate　Cicero。　　No　heresy
can　excite　the　horror　of　Bossuet。〃　　I　dare　say　I　might　differ　from
Lord　Macaulay　in　my　estimate　of　some　of　the　writers　he　has　named；
but　there　can　be　no　disputing　his　main　proposition；　namely；　that　we
need　have　no　more　trouble　from　any　of　them　than　we　have　a　mind　to；
whereas　our　friends　are　not　always　so　easily　disposed　of。　　George
Pontifex　felt　this　as　regards　his　children　and　his　money。　　His　money
was　never　naughty；　his　money　never　made　noise　or　litter；　and　did　not
spill　things　on　the　tablecloth　at　meal　times；　or　leave　the　door　open
when　it　went　out。　　His　dividends　did　not　quarrel　among　themselves；
nor　was　he　under　any　uneasiness　lest　his　mortgages　should　become
extravagant　on　reaching　manhood　and　run　him　up　debts　which　sooner　or
later　he　should　have　to　pay。　　There　were　tendencies　in　John　which
made　him　very　uneasy；　and　Theobald；　his　second　son；　was　idle　and　at
times　far　from　truthful。　　His　children　might；　perhaps；　have
answered；　had　they　known　what　was　in　their　father's　mind；　that　he
did　not　knock　his　money　about　as　he　not　infrequently　knocked　his
children。　　He　never　dealt　hastily　or　pettishly　with　his　money；　and
that　was　perhaps　why　he　and　it　got　on　so　well　together。

It　must　be　remembered　that　at　the　beginning　of　the　nineteenth
century　the　relations　between　parents　and　children　were　still　far
from　satisfactory。　　The　violent　type　of　father；　as　described　by
Fielding；　Richardson；　Smollett　and　Sheridan；　is　now　hardly　more
likely　to　find　a　place　in　literature　than　the　original　advertisement
of　Messrs。　Fairlie　&　Pontifex's　〃Pious　Country　Parishioner；〃　but　the
type　was　much　too　persistent　not　to　have　been　drawn　from　nature
closely。　　The　parents　in　Miss　Austen's　novels　are　less　like　savage
wild　beasts　than　those　of　her　predecessors；　but　she　evidently　looks
upon　them　with　suspicion；　and　an　uneasy　feeling　that　le　pere　de
famille　est　capable　de　tout　makes　itself　sufficiently　apparent
throughout　the　greater　part　of　her　writings。　　In　the　Elizabethan
time　the　relations　between　parents　and　children　seem　on　the　whole　to
have　been　more　kindly。　　The　fathers　and　the　sons　are　for　the　most
part　friends　in　Shakespeare；　nor　does　the　evil　appear　to　have
reached　its　full　abomination　till　a　long　course　of　Puritanism　had
familiarised　men's　minds　with　Jewish　ideals　as　those　which　we　should
endeavour　to　reproduce　in　our　everyday　life。　　What　precedents　did
not　Abraham；　Jephthah　and　Jonadab　the　son　of　Rechab　offer？　　How　easy
was　it　to　quote　and　follow　them　in　an　age　when　few　reasonable　men　or
women　doubted　that　every　syllable　of　the　Old　Testament　was　taken
down　verbatim　from　the　mouth　of　God。　　Moreover；　Puritanism
restricted　natural　pleasures；　it　substituted　the　Jeremiad　for　the
Paean；　and　it　forgot　that　the　poor　abuses　of　all　times　want
countenance。

Mr　Pontifex　may　have　been　a　little　sterner　with　his　children　than
some　of　his　neighbours；　but　not　much。　　He　thrashed　his　boys　two　or
three　times　a　week　and　some　weeks　a　good　deal　oftener；　but　in　those
days　fathers　were　always　thrashing　their　boys。　　It　is　easy　to　have
juster　views　when　everyone　else　has　them；　but　fortunately　or
unfortunately　results　have　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　moral
guilt　or　blamelessness　of　him　who　brings　them　about；　they　depend
solely　upon　the　thing　done；　whatever　it　may　happen　to　be。　　The　moral
guilt　or　blamelessness　in　like　manner　has　nothing　to　do　with　the
result；　it　turns　upon　the　question　whether　a　sufficient　number　of
reasonable　people　placed　as　the　actor　was　placed　would　have　done　as
the　actor　has　done。　　At　that　time　it　was　universally　admitted　that
to　spare　the　rod　was　to　spoil　the　child；　and　St　Paul　had　placed
disobedience　to　parents　in　very　ugly　company。　　If　his　children　did
anything　which　Mr　Pontifex　disliked　they　were　clearly　disobedient　to
their　father。　　In　this　case　there　was　obviously　only　one　course　for
a　sensible　man　to　take。　　It　consisted　in　checking　the　first　signs　of
self…will　while　his　children　were　too　young　to　offer　serious
resistance。　　If　their　wills　were　〃well　broken〃　in　childhood；　to　use
an　expression　then　much　in　vogue；　they　would　acquire　habits　of
obedience　which　they　would　not　venture　to　break　through　till　they
were　over　twenty…one　years　old。　　Then　they　might　please　themselves；
he　should　know　how　to　protect　himself；　till　then　he　and　his　money
were　more　at　their　mercy　than　he　liked。

How　little　do　we　know　our　thoughtsour　reflex　actions　indeed；　yes；
but　our　reflex　reflections！　　Man；　forsooth；　prides　himself　on　his
consciousness！　　We　boast　that　we　differ　from　the　winds　and　waves　and
falling　stones　and　plants；　which　grow　they　know　not　why；　and　from
the　wandering　creatures　which　go　up　and　down　after　their　prey；　as　we
are　pleased　to　say　without　the　help　of　reason。　　We　know　so　well　what
we　are　doing　ourselves　and　why　we　do　it；　do　we　not？　　I　fancy　that
there　is　some　truth　in　the　view　which　is　being　put　forward　nowadays；
that　it　is　our　less　conscious　thoughts　and　our　less　conscious
actions　which　mainly　mould　our　lives　and　the　lives　of　those　who
spring　from　us。



CHAPTER　VI



Mr　Pontifex　was　not　the　man　to　trouble　himself　much　about　his
motives。　　People　were　not　so　introspective　then　as　we　are　now；　they
lived　more　according　to　a　rule　of　thumb。　　Dr　Arnold　had　not　yet　sown
that　crop　of　earnest　thinkers　which　we　are　now　harvesting；　and　men
did　not　see　why　they　should　not　have　their　own　way　if　no　evil
consequences　to　themselves　seemed　likely　to　follow　upon　their　doing
so。　　Then　as　now；　however；　they　sometimes　let　themselves　in　for　more
evil　consequences　than　they　had　bargained　for。

Like　other　rich　men　at　the　beginning　of　this　century　he　ate　and
drank　a　good　deal　more　than　was　enough　to　keep　him　in　health。　　Even
his　excellent　constitution　was　not　proof　against　a　prolonged　course
of　overfeeding　and　what　we　should　now　consider　overdrinking。　　His
liver　would　not　unfrequently　get　out　of　order；　and　he　would　come
down　to　breakfast　looking　yellow　about　the　eyes。　　Then　the　young
people　knew　that　they　had　better　look　out。　　It　is　not　as　a　general
rule　the　eating　of　sour　grapes　that　causes　the　children's　teeth　to
be　set　on　edge。　　Well…to…do　parents　seldom　eat　many　sour　grapes；　the
danger　to　the　children　lies　in　the　parents　eating　too　many　sweet
ones。

I　grant　that　at　first　sight　it　seems　very　unjust；　that　the　parents
should　have　the　fun　and　the　children　be　punished　for　it；　but　young
people　should　remember　that　for　many　years　they　were　part　and　parcel
of　their　parents　and　therefore　had　a　good　deal　of　the　fun　in　the
person　of　their　parents。　　If　they　have　forgotten　the　fun　now；　that
is　no　more　than　people　do　who　have　a　headache　after　having　been
tipsy　overnight。　　The　man　with　a　headache　does　not　pretend　t