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！
O。M。 You were cordially glad you were not caught out and
incapable？
Y。M。 Oh； I just was！
O。M。 Now； then
Y。M。 Stop where you are！ I know your whole catalog of
questions； and I could answer every one of them without your
wasting the time to ask them； but I will summarize the whole
thing in a single remark： I did the charity knowing it was
because the act would give ME a splendid pleasure； and because
old Sally's moving gratitude and delight would give ME another
one； and because the reflection that she would be happy now and
out of her trouble would fill ME full of happiness。 I did the
whole thing with my eyes open and recognizing and realizing that
I was looking out for MY share of the profits FIRST。 Now then； I
have confessed。 Go on。
O。M。 I haven't anything to offer； you have covered the
whole ground。 Can you have been any MORE strongly moved to help
Sally out of her troublecould you have done the deed any more
eagerlyif you had been under the delusion that you were doing
it for HER sake and profit only？
Y。M。 No！ Nothing in the world could have made the impulse
which moved me more powerful； more masterful； more thoroughly
irresistible。 I played the limit！
O。M。 Very well。 You begin to suspectand I claim to KNOW
that when a man is a shade MORE STRONGLY MOVED to do ONE of two
things or of two dozen things than he is to do any one of the
OTHERS； he will infallibly do that ONE thing； be it good or be it
evil； and if it be good； not all the beguilements of all the
casuistries can increase the strength of the impulse by a single
shade or add a shade to the comfort and contentment he will get
out of the act。
Y。M。 Then you believe that such tendency toward doing good
as is in men's hearts would not be diminished by the removal of
the delusion that good deeds are done primarily for the sake of
No。 2 instead of for the sake of No。 1？
O。M。 That is what I fully believe。
Y。M。 Doesn't it somehow seem to take from the dignity of the deed？
O。M。 If there is dignity in falsity； it does。 It removes that。
Y。M。 What is left for the moralists to do？
O。M。 Teach unreservedly what he already teaches with one
side of his mouth and takes back with the other： Do right FOR
YOUR OWN SAKE； and be happy in knowing that your NEIGHBOR will
certainly share in the benefits resulting。
Y。M。 Repeat your Admonition。
O。M。 DILIGENTLY TRAIN YOUR IDEALS UPWARD AND STILL UPWARD
TOWARD A SUMMIT WHERE YOU WILL FIND YOUR CHIEFEST PLEASURE IN
CONDUCT WHICH； WHILE CONTENTING YOU； WILL BE SURE TO CONFER
BENEFITS UPON YOUR NEIGHBOR AND THE COMMUNITY。
Y。M。 One's EVERY act proceeds from EXTERIOR INFLUENCES； you think？
O。M。 Yes。
Y。M。 If I conclude to rob a person； I am not the ORIGINATOR
of the idea； but it comes in from the OUTSIDE？ I see him
handling moneyfor instanceand THAT moves me to the crime？
O。M。 That； by itself？ Oh； certainly not。 It is merely the
LATEST outside influence of a procession of preparatory
influences stretching back over a period of years。 No SINGLE
outside influence can make a man do a thing which is at war with
his training。 The most it can do is to start his mind on a new
tract and open it to the reception of NEW influencesas in the
case of Ignatius Loyola。 In time these influences can train him
to a point where it will be consonant with his new character to
yield to the FINAL influence and do that thing。 I will put the
case in a form which will make my theory clear to you； I think。
Here are two ingots of virgin gold。 They shall represent a
couple of characters which have been refined and perfected in the
virtues by years of diligent right training。 Suppose you wanted
to break down these strong and well…compacted characterswhat
influence would you bring to bear upon the ingots？
Y。M。 Work it out yourself。 Proceed。
O。M。 Suppose I turn upon one of them a steam…jet during a
long succession of hours。 Will there be a result？
Y。M。 None that I know of。
O。M。 Why？
Y。M。 A steam…jet cannot break down such a substance。
O。M。 Very well。 The steam is an OUTSIDE INFLUENCE； but it
is ineffective because the gold TAKES NO INTEREST IN IT。 The
ingot remains as it was。 Suppose we add to the steam some
quicksilver in a vaporized condition； and turn the jet upon the
ingot； will there be an instantaneous result？
Y。M。 No。
O。M。 The QUICKSILVER is an outside influence which gold （by
its peculiar naturesay TEMPERAMENT； DISPOSITION） CANNOT BE
INDIFFERENT TO。 It stirs up the interest of the gold； although
we do not perceive it； but a SINGLE application of the influence
works no damage。 Let us continue the application in a steady
stream； and call each minute a year。 By the end of ten or twenty
minutesten or twenty yearsthe little ingot is sodden with
quicksilver； its virtues are gone； its character is degraded。 At
last it is ready to yield to a temptation which it would have
taken no notice of； ten or twenty years ago。 We will apply that
temptation in the form of a pressure of my finger。 You note the
result？
Y。M。 Yes； the ingot has crumbled to sand。 I understand；
now。 It is not the SINGLE outside influence that does the work；
but only the LAST one of a long and disintegrating accumulation
of them。 I see； now； how my SINGLE impulse to rob the man is not
the one that makes me do it； but only the LAST one of a
preparatory series。 You might illustrate with a parable。
A Parable
O。M。 I will。 There was once a pair of New England boys
twins。 They were alike in good dispositions； feckless morals；
and personal appearance。 They were the models of the Sunday…
school。 At fifteen George had the opportunity to go as cabin…boy
in a whale…ship； and sailed away for the Pacific。 Henry remained
at home in the village。 At eighteen George was a sailor before
the mast； and Henry was teacher of the advanced Bible class。 At
twenty…two George； through fighting…habits and drinking…habits
acquired at sea and in the sailor boarding…houses of the European
and Oriental ports； was a common rough in Hong…Kong； and out of a
job； and Henry was superintendent of the Sunday…school。 At
twenty…six George was a wanderer； a tramp； and Henry was pastor
of the village church。 Then George came home； and was Henry's
guest。 One evening a man passed by and turned down the lane； and
Henry said； with a pathetic smile； 〃Without intending me a
discomfort； that man is always keeping me reminded of my pinching
poverty； for he carries heaps of money about him； and goes by
here every evening of his life。〃 That OUTSIDE INFLUENCEthat
remarkwas enough for George； but IT was not the one that made
him ambush the man and rob him； it merely represented the eleven
years' accumulation of such influences； and gave birth to the act
for which their long gestation had made preparation。 It had
never entered the head of Henry to rob the manhis ingot had
been subjected to clean steam only； but George's had been
subjected to vaporized quicksilver。
V
More About the Machine
Note。When Mrs。 W。 asks how can a millionaire give a single
dollar to colleges and museums while one human being is destitute
of bread； she has answered her question herself。 Her feeling for
the poor shows that she has a standard of benevolence； there she
has conceded the millionaire's privilege of having a standard；
since she evidently requires him to adopt her standard； she is by
that act requiring herself to adopt his。 The human being always
looks down when he is examining another person's standard； he
never find one that he has to examine by looking up。
The Man…Machine Again
Young Man。 You really think man is a mere machine？
Old Man。 I do。
Y。M。 And that his mind works automatically and is
independent of his controlcarries on thought on its own hook？
O。M。 Yes。 It is diligently at work； unceasingly at work；
during every waking moment。 Have you never tossed about all
night； imploring； beseeching； commanding your mind to stop work
and let you go to sleep？you who perhaps imagine that your mind
is your servant and must obey your orders； think what you tell it
to think； and stop when you tell it to stop。 When it chooses to
work； there is no way to keep it still for an instant。 The
brightest man would not be able to supply it with subjects if he
had to hunt them up。 If it needed the man's help it would wait
for him to give it work when he wakes in the morning。
Y。M。 Maybe it does。
O。M。 No； it begins right away； before the man gets wide
enough awake to give it a suggestion。 He may go to sleep saying；
〃The moment I wake I will think upon such and such a subject；〃
but he will fail。 His mind will be too quick for him； by the
time he has become nearly enough awake to be half co