the days of my life-第105章

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they　will　be　spoken　of　with　respect　as　successful　men；　and　probably　in　the　end　receive　or　purchase　titles。
Now　in　the　conditions　of　a　simple　pastoral　life　dishonesty；　even　if　innate；　could　scarcely　bring　such　rich　rewards。
Apply　the　argument　to　the　various　classes　of　mankind　and　I　think　we　have　one　of　the　causes　of　the　popularity　of　the　town。
Another　is；　of　course；　that　there　women　can　show　themselves　off；　their　jewels　and　dresses；　if　rich；　or　if　poor；　can　have　the　advantages　of　cheap　amusements。　In　most　people　the　love　of　Nature　scarcely　exists；　it　seems　to　be　the　privilege　of　the　highly　educated。　But　niy…eight　out　of　a　hundred　love　a　gas…lamp。
Speaking　generally；　this　seems　to　be　the　state　of　affairs　among　all　the　more　progressive　of　the　white　peoples。　I　hear　that　even　the　Boers　of　whom　you　speak　are　in　a　good　many　instances　beginning　to　be　affected　by　this　kind　of　tidal　movement　towards　the　town。　How　will　it　end？　That　is　the　interesting　point。　My　opinion　is　that　in　the　absence　of　some　unforeseen　and　unexpected　turn　of　this　tide　it　will　involve　the　practical　destruction　of　the　white　peoples；　and　that　within　a　measurable　time；　say；　two　or　three　centuries。　Except　in　the　case　of　those　of　a　lower　stratum　whose　progeny　soon　die　out　or　bee　degenerate；　the　town　women　do　not　have　many　children；　in　fact　there　seems　to　be　a　rebellion　against　this　burden　amongst　most　married　women。　Also　the　increase　of　luxury　and　the　cost　of　living　all　tend　towards　the　same　end。　Only　on　the　land　are　children　wele；　that　is　if　this　land　is　owned　by　their　parents；　who　find　their　labour　valuable。　Look　at　France。　Were　it　not　for　the　support　of　England；　Germany　would　soon　have　her　in　its　bag。　But　the　same　causes　that　are　reducing　France　to　a　state　of　political　death　are；　I　am　told；　beginning　to　work　at　the　heart　of　her　enemies；　the　Germans。　Look　at　Australia。　If　there　were　no　British　fleet　how　long　would　it　be　before　it　received　a　considerable　number　of　immigrants　of　the　Mongol　type？　And　so　on。
But　all　these　arguments　are　monplace　to　you。　The　question　is；　Whither　do　they　lead；　supposing　them　to　be　accurate？
I　think；　to　two　alternative　conclusions。　The　first　alternative　is　that　the　Almighty　has　had　enough　of　the　white　races　and　is　bringing　about　their　ruin　through　their　own　failings　as　in　past　days　He　brought　about　the　ruin　of　Rome；　purposing　once　more　to　fill　their　places　from　the　East。　The　second　alternative　is　that　He　is　pointing　out　to　them　that　their　only　possible　rejuvenation；　their　only　salvation　lies　in　the　closer　settlement　of　the　land　which　they　neglect。
Denmark　has　learned　something　of　this　lesson；　and　that　is　why　to　me　its　example　seems　so　important。　Personally　also　I　believe　it　to　be　the　first　of　truths；　and　that　is　why　I　try　to　preach　it　in　and　out　of　season。　But　the　sporting　owner　and　the　tenant　farmers　of　the　country；　both　of　which　classes　find　things　very　well　as　they　are；　do　not　share　my　views；　and　say　so　with　vigour。　The　future　will　show　which　of　us　is　in　the　right。
。　。　。　I　quite　agree　with　all　that　you　say　at　the　end　of　your　letter；　indeed　I　think　that　these　are　fine　words。　All　that　one　can　do　is　to　peg　away　and　not　be　discouraged。　Then　at　least　one　has　done　one’s　humble　best　in　the　little　hour　that　is　granted；　leaving　the　ultimate　issues　in　the　hands　of　Fate　and　the　future。　If　no　one　will　listen；　if　the　opposing　interests　are　too　strong；　at　least　one　has　cried　aloud　in　the　wilderness　and　done　one’s　best。
With　very　kind　regards；
Believe　me；
Ever　sincerely　yours；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
About　a　year　later　I　wrote　a　note　to　Mr。　Roosevelt；　saying　that　of　course　American　politics　were　no　affair　of　mine；　and　that　I　would　not　venture　to　say　anything　about　them。　Still；　as　I　believed　that　his　heart　was　in　the　right　place；　I　wished　him　success　in　his　arduous　struggle。
To　this　note　I　received　the　following　reply；　which　strikes　me　as　of　extraordinary　interest。　The　opening　of　it；　of　which　the　note　is　“misunderstood；”　is　somewhat　pathetic；　the　writer’s　conviction　as　to　the　approaching　“general　smash…up　of　our　civilisation”　unless　certain　conditions　can　be　put　a　stop　to　is　of　much　weight　ing　from　such　a　man；　and　the　conclusion　throws　a　light　upon　his　character　which　would　astonish　many　even　in　this　country。
Office　of　Theodore　Roosevelt；
The　Outlook；　287　Fourth　Avenue；
New　York：　June　28；　1912。
Dear　Mr。　Haggard；　—　I　have　but　a　moment　in　which　to　answer　your　wele　letter；　as　I　am　driven　almost　to　death。　There　are　but　a　limited　number　of　my　own　countrymen；　among　those　of　the　highest　education；　who　understand　as　you　do　just　what　I　am　striving　for。　I　suppose　that　as　we　grow　older　we　naturally　lose　the　natural　feeling　of　young　men　to　take　an　interest　in　politics　just　for　the　sake　of　strife　—　the　same　kind　of　interest　one　takes　in　big　game　hunting　or　football；　the　kind　of　interest　quite　patible　with　doing　excellent　work　but　which　cannot　inspire　the　highest　kind　of　work。　As　we　get　older；　if　we　think　seriously　at　all；　and　if　we　escape　falling　into　a　permanent　Palmerstonian　jauntiness　of　attitude；　we　cannot　avoid　being　deeply　and　indeed　painfully　impressed　with　the　tremendous　problems　of　our　social　and　industrial　life。　To　me　politics　and　applied　ethics　ought　to　be　interchangeable　terms；　and　my　interest　in　the　former　arises　chiefly　from　my　interest　in　the　latter。　If　the　whole　game　is　one　of　mere　sound　and　fury；　without　any　sincerity　back　of　it；　any　real　purpose　of　achievement；　then　it　is　all　of　as　little　importance　as　a　contest　between　the　blues　and　the　greens　in　the　Byzantine　circus。　I　am；　I　hope　and　believe；　a　practical　man；　and　I　abhor　mere　sentimentality；　but　I　abhor　at　least　as　much　the　kind　of　so…called　practical　man　who　uses　the　word　“practical”　to　indicate　mere　materialistic　baseness；　and　who　fails　to　see　that　while　we　of　course　must　have　a　material　and　economic　foundation　for　every　successful　civilisation；　yet　that　fabric　cannot　be　lasting　unless　a　warp　of　lofty　disinterestedness　and　power　of　munity　feeling　is　shot　through　the　woof　of　individualistic　materialism。　Have　you　ever　read　“No。　5　John　Street”？　I　happened　to　be　reading　it　the　other　day。　Now　I　know　I　cannot　ever　achieve　more　than　the　very　smallest　part　of　what　I　would　like　to　do；　but　at　least　I　wish　to　take　part　in　a　movement　for　using　the　government　so　far　as　may　be　to　put　a　stop　to　the　dreadful　conditions　at　both　ends　of　the　social　scale　which　are　described　in　“No。　5　John　Street。”　In　the　same　way；　I　wish　to　get　the　government　interested　in　conservation；　and　in　restoring　the　people　to　the　land。　I　do　not　know　whether　we　will　be　able　to　succeed　in　the　great　movement　for　social　and　industrial　reform；　which　includes　all　such　movements　as　the　two　I　have　mentioned；　but　I　do　know　that　the　alternative　is　a　general　smash…up　of　our　civilisation；　and　succeed　or　fail；　I　hold　it　to　be　the　duty　of　every　decent　man　to　fight　to　avoid　such　a　smash。
I　hope　you　e　to　Canada　and　then　I　shall　see　you　here　and　have　a　chance　of　talking　over　some　of　these　matters；　which　are　of　such　vital　importance；　and　which　the　average　man　treats　as　of　no　importance　whatever。
As　for　my　personal　fortunes；　they　are　of　no　consequence　whatever；　except　in　so　far　as　they　are　for　the　moment　connected　with　this　movement。　The　great　bulk　of　my　wealthy　and　educated　friends　regard　me　as　a　dangerous　crank　because　I　am　trying　to　find　a　remedy　for　evils　which　if　left　unremedied　will　in　the　end　do　away　not　only　with　wealth　and　education；　but　with　pretty　much　all　of　our　civilisation。　The　majority　of　people　veer　one　way　or　the　other　according　to　whether　at　the　moment　I　seem　to　succeed　or　fail；　and　are　quite　incapable　of　believing　that　I　am　concerned　with　anything　but　my　own　success　or　failure。　But　all　this　is　of　little　permanent　consequence。　It　is　a　fight　that　must　be　made；　and　is　worth　making；　and　the　event　lies　on　the　knees　of　the　gods。
Faithfully　yours；
Theodore　Roosevelt。
To　this　letter　I　answered：
Ditchingham　House；　Norfolk：
July　14；　1912。
My　dear　Mr。　Roosevelt；　—　I　thank　you　for　your　letter。　。　。　。　I　too　hold　that　the　civilised　world　wallows　in　a　slough　worse；　perhaps；　than　the　primeval　mud　of　the　savage；　that　is　is　possible　（if　not　probable）　that　it　may　be　dragged　from　that　slough；　cleansed　and　clothed　in　white　garments。　T