the story of my heart-第14部分

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the　limbs　grew　weaker　they　would　not　totter；　if　the　teeth
dropped　it　would　not　be　till　the　last；　if　the　eyes　were　less
strong　they　would　not　be　quite　dim；　nor　would　the　mind　lose　its
memory。

But　now　we　see　eyes　become　dim　and　artifical　aid　needed　in　comparative
youth；　and　teeth　drop　out　in　mere　childhood。
Many　men　and　women　lose　teeth　before　they　are　twenty。　This　simple　fact　is
evidence　enough　of　inherited　weakness　or　flaw。　How　could　a　person　who　had
lost　teeth　before　twenty　be　ever　said　to　die　of　old　age；　though　he　died　at　a
hundred　and　ten？　Death　is　not　a　supernatural　event；　it　is　an　event　of　the
most　materialistic　character；　and　may　certainly　be　postponed；　by　the　united
efforts　of　the　human　race；　to　a　period　far　more　distant　from　the　date　of
birth　than　has　been　the　case　during　the　historic　period。　The　question　has
often　been　debated　in　my　mind　whether　death　is　or　is　not　wholly　preventable；
whether；　if　the　entire　human　race　were　united　in　their　efforts　to　eliminate
causes　of　decay；　death　might　not　also　be　altogether　eliminated。

If　we　consider　ourselves　by　the　analogy　of　animals；　trees；　and
other　living　creatures；　the　reply　is　that；　however　postponed；
in　long　process　of　time　the　tissues　must　wither。　Suppose　an　ideal　man；　free
from　inherited　flaw；　then　though　his　age　might
be　prolonged　to　several　centuries；　in　the　end　the　natural　body
must　wear　out。　That　is　true　so　far。　But　it　so　happens　that　the　analogy　is
not　just；　and　therefore　the　conclusions　it　points　to　are　not　tenable。

Man　is　altogether　different　from　every　other　animal；　every　other　living
creature　known。　He　is　different　in　body。　In　his　purely　natural　statein　his
true　natural　statehe　is　immeasurably　stronger。　No　animal　approaches　to　the
physical　perfection　of　which　a　man　is　capable。　　He　can　weary　the　strongest
horse；　he　can　outrun　the　swiftest　stag；　he　can　bear　extremes　of　heat　and
cold　hunger　and　thirst；　which　would　exterminate　every　known　living　thing。
Merely　in　bodily　strength　he　is　superior　to　all。　The　stories　of　antiquity；
which　were　deemed　fables；　may　be　fables　historically；　but　search　has　shown
that　they　are　not　intrinsically　fables。　　Man　of　flesh　and　blood　is　capable
of　all　that　Ajax；　all　that　Hercules　did。　Feats　in　modern　days　have　surpassed
these；　as　when　Webb　swam　the　Channel；　mythology　contains　nothing　equal　to
that。　　The　difference　does　not　end　here。　Animals　think　to　a　certain　extent；
but　if　their　conceptions　be　ever　so　clever；　not　having　hands　they　cannot
execute　them。

I　myself　maintain　that　the　mind　of　man　is　practically　infinite。
It　can　understand　anything　brought　before　it。　It　has　not　the
power　of　its　own　motion　to　bring　everything　before　it；　but　when
anything　is　brought　it　is　understood。　It　is　like　sitting　in　a
room　with　one　window；　you　cannot　compel　everything　to　pass　the
window；　but　whatever　does　pass　is　seen。　It　is　like　a　magnifying　glass；　which
magnifies　and　explains　everything　brought　into　its　focus。　The　mind　of　man　is
infinite。　Beyond　this；　man　has　a　soul。　I　do　not　use　this　word　in　the　common
sense　which　circumstances　have　given　to　it。　I　use　it　as　the　only　term　to
express　that　inner　consciousness　which　aspires。　　These　brief　reasons　show
that　the　analogy　is　imperfect；　and　that　therefore；　although　an　ideal
animala　horse；　a　dog；　a　lionmust　die；　it　does　not　follow　that　an　ideal
man　must。　He　has　a　body　possessed　of　exceptional　recuperative　powers；　which；
under　proper　conditions；　continually　repairs　itself。　He　has　a　mind　by　which
he　can　select　remedies；　and　select　his　course　and　carefully　restore　the
waste　of　tissue。　He　has　a　soul；　as　yet；　it　seems　to　me；　lying　in　abeyance；
by　the　aid　of　which　he　may　yet　discover　things　now　deemed　supernatural。

Considering　these　things　I　am　obliged　by　facts　and　incontrovert…ible
argument　to　conclude　that　death　is　not　inevitable　to　the　ideal　man。　He　is
shaped　for　a　species　of　physical　immortality。　The　beauty　of　form　of　the
ideal　human　being　indicates　immortalitythe　contour；　the　curve；　the　outline
answer　to　the　idea　of　life。　In　the　course　of　ages　united　effort　long
continued　may　eliminate　those　causes　of　decay　which　have　grown　up　in　ages
past；　and　after　that　has　been　done　advance　farther　and　improve　the　natural
state。　As　a　river　brings　down　suspended　particles　of　sand；　and　depositing
them　at　its　mouth　forms　a　delta　and　a　new　country；　as　the　air　and　the　rain
and　the　heat　of　the　sun　desiccate　the　rocks　and　slowly　wear　down　mountains
into　sand；　so　the　united　action　of　the　human　race；　continued　through
centuries；　may　build　up　the　ideal　man　and　woman。
Each　individual　labouring　in　his　day　through　geological　time　in　front　must
produce　an　effect。　　The　instance　of　Sparta；　where　so　much　was　done　in　a　few
centuries；　is　almost　proof　of　it。

The　truth　is；　we　die　through　our　ancestors；　we　are　murdered　by　our
ancestors。　Their　dead　hands　stretch　forth　from　the　tomb　and　drag　us　down　to
their　mouldering　bones。　We　in　our　turn　are　now　at　this　moment　preparing
death　for　our　unborn　posterity。　This　day　those　that　die　do　not　die　in　the
sense　of　old　age；　they　are　slain。　Nothing　has　been　accumulated　for　our
benefit　in　ages　past。　All　the　labour　and　the　toil　of　so　many　millions
continued　through　such　vistas　of　time；　down　to　those　millions　who　at　this
hour　are　rushing　to　and　fro　in　London；　has
accumulated　nothing　for　us。　Nothing　for　our　good。　The　only　things　that　have
been　stored　up　have　been　for　our　evil　and　destruction；　diseases　and
weaknesses　crossed　and　cultivated　and　rendered　almost　part　and　parcel　of　our
very　bones。　Now　let　us　begin　to　roll　back　the　tide　of　death；　and　to　set　our
faces
steadily　to　a　future　of　life。　It　should　be　the　sacred　and　sworn　duty　of
every　one；　once　at　least　during　lifetime；　to　do　something　in　person　towards
this　end。　It　would　be　a　delight　and　pleasure　to　me　to　do　something　every
day；　were　it　ever　so　minute。　To　reflect　that　another　human　being；　if　at　a
distance　of　ten　thousand　years　from　the　year　1883；　would　enjoy　one　hour's
more　life；　in　the　sense　of　fulness　of　life；　in　consequence　of　anything　I　had
done　in　my　little　span；　would　be　to　me　a　peace　of　soul。

CHAPTER　X

UNITED　effort　through　geological　time　in　front　is　but　the　beginning　of　an
idea。　I　am　convinced　that　much　more　can　be　done；　and　that　the　length　of　time
may　be　almost　immeasurably　shortened。　The　general　principles　that　are　now　in
operation　are　of　the　simplest　and　most　elementary　character；　yet　they　have
already　made　considerable　difference。　I　am　not　content　with　these。　There
must　be　much　morethere　must　be　things　which　are　at　present　unknown　by
whose　aid　advance　may　be　made。　Research　proceeds　upon　the　same　old　lines　and
runs　in　the　ancient　grooves。　Further；　it　is　restricted　by　the
ultra…practical　views　which　are　alone　deemed　reasonable。　But　there　should　be
no　limit　placed　on　the　mind。　The　purely　ideal　is　as　worthy　of　pursuit　as　the
practical；　and　the　mind　is　not　to　be　pinned　to　dogmas　of　science　any　more
than　to　dogmas　of　superstition。　Most　injurious
of　all　is　the　continuous　circling　on　the　same　path；　and　it　is
from　this　that　I　wish　to　free　my　mind。

The　pursuit　of　theorythe　organon　of　pure　thoughthas　led
incidentally　to　great　discoveries；　and　for　myself　I　am　convinced
it　is　of　the　highest　value。　The　process　of　experiment　has　produced　much；　and
has　applied　what　was　previously　found。
Empiricism　is　worthy　of　careful　re…working　out；　for　it　is　a　fact
that　most　things　are　more　or　less　empirical；　especially　in
medicine。　Denial　may　be　given　to　this　statement；　nevertheless
it　is　true；　and　I　have　had　practical　exemplification　of　it　in　my
own　experience。　Observation　is　perhaps　more　powerful　an　organon
than　either　experiment　or　empiricism。　　If　the　eye　is　always　watching；　and
the　mind　on　the　alert；　ultimately　chance　supplies　the　solution。

The　difficulties　I　have　encountered　have　generally　been　solved
by　chance　in　this　way。　When　I　took　an　interest　in
archaeological　mattersan　interest　long　since　extinctI
considered　that　a　part　of　an　army　known　to　have　marched　in　a
certain　direction　during　the　Civil　War　must　have　visited　a　town
in　which　I　was　interested。　But　I　exhausted　every　mode　of
research　in　vain；　there　was　no　evidence　of　it。　If　the　knowledge
had　ever　existed　it　had　dropped　again。　Some　years　afterwards；
when　my　interest　had　ceased；　and　I　had　put　such　inquiries　for
ever　aside　（being　useless；　like　the　Egyptian　papyri）；　I　was
reading　in　the　British　Museum。　Presently　I　returned　my　book　to
the　shelf；　and　then　slowly　walked　along　the　curving　wall　lined　with　volumes；
looking　to　see　if　I　could　light　on　anything　to　amuse　me。　I　took　out　a　volume
for　a　glance；　it　opened　of　itself　at　a　certain　page；　and　there　was　the
information　I　had　so　long　soughta　reprint　of　an　old　pamphlet　describing
the　visit　of　the　army　to　the　town　in　the　Civil　War。　So　chance　answered　the
question　in　the　course　of　time。

And　I　think　that；　seeing　how　great　a　part　chance　plays　in　human　affairs；　it
is　essential　that　study　should　be　made　of　chance；　it　seems　to　me　that　an
organon　from　experiment。　Then　there　is　the　inner　consciousnessthe
psychethat　has　never　yet　been　brought　to　bear　upon　life　and　its　questions。
Besides　which　there　is　a　super…sensuous　reason。　Often　I　have　argued　with
myself　that　such　and　such　a　course　was　the　right　one　to　follow；　while　in　the
intervals　of　thinking　about　it　an　undercurrent　of　unconscious　impulse　has
desired　me　to　do　the　reverse　or　to　remain　inactive。
Sometimes　it　has　happened　that　the　supersensuous　reasoning　has　been　correct；
and　the　most　faultless　argument　wrong。　I　presume　this　supersensuous
reasoning；　preceeding　independently　in　the　mind；　arises　from　preceptions　too
delicate　for　analysis。　From　these　considerations　alone　I　am　convinced　that；
by　the　aid　of　ideas　yet　to　be　discovered；　the　geological　time　in　front　may
be　immeasurably　shortened。　　These　modes　of　research　are　not　all。　The
psychethe　soul　in　metells　me　that　there　is　much　more；　that　these　are
merely　beginnings　of　the　crudest　kind。

I　fully　recognise　the　practical　difficulty　arising　from　the　ingrained；
hereditary；　and　unconscious　selfishness　which　began　before　history；　and　has
been　crossed　and　cultivated　for　twelve　thousand　years　since。　This　renders　me
less　sanguine　of　united　ef