the days of my life-第93部分

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—　“What　might　be　and　what　is。”　I　agree　with　every　word　you　say　about　the　land　。　。　。　。
I　do　not　wonder　that　you　feel　discouraged　and　blue　at　times。　As　you　say；　it　seems　a　hard　and　thankless　task　to　have　to　try　to　hammer　into　your　generation　what　is　vital　for　them　to　learn　and　what　they　refuse　to　learn。　I　half　smiled　when　I　read　what　you　wrote；　because　I　so　often　have　the　same　feeling　myself。　As　President　I　tried；　and　I　now　continue　to　try；　to　teach　lessons　that　I　feel　ought　to　be　learned　by　my　fellow…countrymen；　and　I　often　wonder　how　much　I　am　acplishing　by　it。　There　are　so　many　important　lessons　that　ought　to　be　learned；　and　the　art　of　preaching　so　that　it　will　at　least　do　no　harm　is　such　a　very　difficult　art　to　acquire　and　to　practise！　I　often　bee　quite　horrified　at　the　multitude　of　profoundly　dull　and　uninteresting　little　books　and　pamphlets　and　articles　and　tracts；　all　with　a　worthy　purpose；　which　are　sent　to　me　by　other　men　interested　in　trying　to　teach　something　which　they　believe　ought　to　be　taught；　I　wonder　whether　I　seem　the　kind　of　dull　pointless　bore　to　the　people　I　am　trying　to　help　as　so　many　of　these　worthy　people　seem　to　me！　I　think　your　business　and　mine　is　to　go　ahead；　never　to　stop　trying　to　help　along　the　lines　we　have　marked　out；　and　yet　to　keep　our　sense　of　humor　and　sense　of　proportion　and　equability　of　nature。　We　must　not　preach　all　the　time；　or　we　will　stop　doing　any　good；　for　we　must　always　remember　not　to　fall　into　the　snare　of　preaching　for　the　sake　of　relieving　our　own　souls　instead　of　for　the　purpose　of　acplishing　something　as　regards　somebody　else’s　soul。　We　must　not　permit　ourselves　to　bee　soured　by　our　experiences；　for　being　gloomy　does　not　in　the　least　help　a　man　to　reach　others；　and　merely　makes　him　less　attractive　to　himself　and　to　all　around　him。　Life　is　a　campaign；　and　at　best　we　are　merely　under…officers　or　subalterns　in　it。　We　are　bound　to　do　our　duty　as　efficiently　and　as　fearlessly　as　we　know　how；　but　it　is　a　good　thing　to　remember　that　we　must　not　be　too　much　cast　down　even　if　things　look　wrong；　because　melancholy　only　tends　to　make　us　less　and　not　more　efficient；　and　buoyancy　and　good…humor　and　the　ability　to　enjoy　life　all　help　instead　of　hindering　a　reformer。
Well！　I　have　written　you　an　unconscionably　long　letter。　Good…bye　and　good　luck！
Faithfully　yours；
Theodore　Roosevelt。
H。　Rider　Haggard；　Esq。；
Ditchingham　House；
Norfolk。
I　answered　as　follows：
Ditchingham　House；　Norfolk：
September　5；　1911。
My　dear　Mr。　Roosevelt；　—　Many　thanks　for　your　interesting　letter　of　August　22nd。　I　think　that　the　cause　of　the　“trouble　among　the　peoples　who　speak　English”　is　twofold；　the　love　of　pleasure　and　the　love　of　wealth；　both　of　which　affections　can；　for　the　majority；　be　most　easily　gratified　in　cities。　Doubtless　the　Golden　Calf　is　the　most　popular　of　all　gods　ancient　or　modern；　and　he　does　not　build　his　shrines　amongst　woods　and　fields。　Moreover　his　worship　bees　ever　more　facile；　since　during　the　last　century　a　new　code　of　morality　has　matured　in　these　matters。
Rogues；　of　course；　there　always　were；　but　in　the　days　of　our　grandfathers　not　so　many；　I　think；　of　the　“indifferent　honest。”
I　have　a　few　shares　in　certain　mercial　undertakings。　A　week　or　so　ago　I　observed　that　the　price　of　these　shares　was　falling　rapidly。　When　they　had；　so　to　speak；　bumped　against　the　bottom；　in　each　case　the　shareholders　were　notified　of　certain　troubles　and　miscalculations　that　had　occurred。　The　next　day　the　papers　pointed　out　that　the　“insiders”　had　been　unloading　their　shares　at　the　high　price　before　warning　the　shareholders　of　what　had　happened；　and　remarked　that　this　furnished　another　proof　of　the　helplessness　of　the　investor　in　the　hands　of　the　said　insiders；　who　are；　I　suppose；　the　directors　and　their　friends。
Now　I　frequently　have　to　send　people　to　prison　who　through　poverty　or　actual　want　have　stolen　something；　but　no　one　will　send　these　“insiders”　to　prison；　although　they　are　worse　than　ordinary　thieves　because　they　betray　the　confidence　of　those　who　trusted　them　and　whose　interests　they　are　paid　to　promote。　On　the　contrary；　their　rapidly　acquired　wealth　will　be　admired；　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　i