Ihavetogeneralize,ofcourse,rathertelescopingmanyimpressions;butthefirsteveningwasagoodsampleoftheimpressionwemade。Jeffhadafollowing,ifImaycallitthat,ofthemoresentimental——thoughthat’snotthewordIwant。
Thelesspractical,perhaps;thegirlswhowereartistsofsomesort,ethicists,teachers——thatkind。
Terrywasreducedtoarathercombativegroup:keen,logical,inquiringminds,notoverlysensitive,theverykindhelikedleast;
while,asforme——Ibecamequitecockyovermygeneralpopularity。
Terrywasfuriousaboutit。Wecouldhardlyblamehim。
\"Girls!\"heburstforth,whenthateveningwasoverandwewerebyourselvesoncemore。\"CallthoseGIRLS!\"
\"Mostdelightfulgirls,Icallthem,\"saidJeff,hisblueeyesdreamilycontented。
\"WhatdoYOUcallthem?\"Imildlyinquired。
\"Boys!Nothingbutboys,mostof’em。Astandoffish,disagreeablelotatthat。Critical,impertinentyoungsters。Nogirlsatall。\"
Hewasangryandsevere,notalittlejealous,too,Ithink。
Afterward,whenhefoundoutjustwhatitwastheydidnotlike,hechangedhismannersomewhatandgotonbetter。Hehadto。
For,inspiteofhiscriticism,theyweregirls,and,furthermore,allthegirlstherewere!Alwaysexceptingourthree!——withwhomwepresentlyrenewedouracquaintance。
Whenitcametocourtship,whichitsoondid,Icanofcoursebestdescribemyown——andamleastinclinedto。ButofJeffI
heardsomewhat;hewasinclinedtodwellreverentlyandadmiringly,atsomelength,ontheexaltedsentimentandmeasurelessperfectionofhisCelis;andTerry——Terrymadesomanyfalsestartsandmetsomanyrebuffs,thatbythetimehereallysettleddowntowinAlima,hewasconsiderablywiser。Atthat,itwasnotsmoothsailing。
Theybrokeandquarreled,overandover;hewouldrushofftoconsolehimselfwithsomeotherfairone——theotherfaironewouldhavenoneofhim——andhewoulddriftbacktoAlima,becomingmoreandmoredevotedeachtime。
Shenevergaveaninch。Abig,handsomecreature,ratherexceptionallystrongeveninthatraceofstrongwomen,withaproudheadandsweepinglevelbrowsthatlinedacrossaboveherdarkeagereyeslikethewidewingsofasoaringhawk。
IwasgoodfriendswithallthreeofthembutbestofallwithEllador,longbeforethatfeelingchanged,forbothofus。
Fromher,andfromSomel,whotalkedveryfreelywithme,IlearnedatlastsomethingoftheviewpointofHerlandtowarditsvisitors。
Heretheywere,isolated,happy,contented,whentheboomingbuzzofourbiplanetoretheairabovethem。
Everybodyheardit——sawit——formilesandmiles,wordflashedalloverthecountry,andacouncilwasheldineverytownandvillage。
Andthiswastheirrapiddetermination:
\"Fromanothercountry。Probablymen。Evidentlyhighlycivilized。
Doubtlesspossessedofmuchvaluableknowledge。Maybedangerous。
Catchthemifpossible;tameandtrainthemifnecessaryThismaybeachancetore—establishabi—sexualstateforourpeople。\"
Theywerenotafraidofus——threemillionhighlyintelligentwomen——ortwomillion,countingonlygrown—ups——werenotlikelytobeafraidofthreeyoungmen。Wethoughtofthemas\"Women,\"andthereforetimid;butitwastwothousandyearssincetheyhadhadanythingtobeafraidof,andcertainlymorethanonethousandsincetheyhadoutgrownthefeeling。
Wethought——atleastTerrydid——thatwecouldhaveourpickofthem。
Theythought——verycautiouslyandfarsightedly——ofpickingus,ifitseemedwise。
Allthattimewewereintrainingtheystudiedus,analyzedus,preparedreportsaboutus,andthisinformationwaswidelydisseminatedallabouttheland。
Notagirlinthatcountryhadnotbeenlearningformonthsasmuchascouldbegatheredaboutourcountry,ourculture,ourpersonalcharacters。Nowondertheirquestionswerehardtoanswer。ButIamsorrytosay,whenwewereatlastbroughtoutand——exhibited(Ihatetocallitthat,butthat’swhatitwas),therewasnorushoftakers。HerewaspooroldTerryfondlyimaginingthatatlasthewasfreetostrayin\"arosebudgardenofgirls\"——andbehold!
therosebudswereallwithkeenappraisingeye,studyingus。
Theywereinterested,profoundlyinterested,butitwasnotthekindofinterestwewerelookingfor。
Togetanideaoftheirattitudeyouhavetoholdinmindtheirextremelyhighsenseofsolidarity。Theywerenoteachchoosingalover;theyhadn’tthefaintestideaoflove——sex—love,thatis。
Thesegirls——toeachofwhommotherhoodwasalodestar,andthatmotherhoodexaltedaboveamerepersonalfunction,lookedforwardtoasthehighestsocialservice,asthesacramentofalifetime——werenowconfrontedwithanopportunitytomakethegreatstepofchangingtheirwholestatus,ofrevertingtotheirearlierbi—sexualorderofnature。
Besidethisunderlyingconsiderationtherewasthelimitlessinterestandcuriosityinourcivilization,purelyimpersonal,andheldbyanorderofmindbesidewhichwewerelike——schoolboys。
Itwassmallwonderthatourlectureswerenotasuccess;andnoneatallthatour,oratleastTerry’s,advancesweresoillreceived。Thereasonformyowncomparativesuccesswasatfirstfarfrompleasingtomypride。
\"Welikeyouthebest,\"Someltoldme,\"becauseyouseemmorelikeus。\"
\"Morelikealotofwomen!\"Ithoughttomyselfdisgustedly,andthenrememberedhowlittlelike\"women,\"inourderogatorysense,theywere。Shewassmilingatme,readingmythought。
\"Wecanquiteseethatwedonotseemlike——women——toyou。
Ofcourse,inabi—sexualracethedistinctivefeatureofeachsexmustbeintensified。ButsurelytherearecharacteristicsenoughwhichbelongtoPeople,aren’tthere?That’swhatImeanaboutyoubeingmorelikeus——morelikePeople。Wefeelateasewithyou。\"
Jeff’sdifficultywashisexaltedgallantry。Heidealizedwomen,andwasalwayslookingforachanceto\"protect\"orto\"serve\"them。Theseneededneitherprotectionnorservice。Theywerelivinginpeaceandpowerandplenty;weweretheirguests,theirprisoners,absolutelydependent。
Ofcoursewecouldpromisewhatsoeverwemightofadvantages,iftheywouldcometoourcountry;butthemoreweknewoftheirs,thelessweboasted。
Terry’sjewelsandtrinketstheyprizedascurios;handedthemabout,askingquestionsastoworkmanship,notintheleastastovalue;
anddiscussednotownership,butwhichmuseumtoputthemin。
Whenamanhasnothingtogiveawoman,isdependentwhollyonhispersonalattraction,hiscourtshipisunderlimitations。
Theywereconsideringthesetwothings:theadvisabilityofmakingtheGreatChange;andthedegreeofpersonaladaptabilitywhichwouldbestservethatend。
Herewehadtheadvantageofoursmallpersonalexperiencewiththosethreefleetforestgirls;andthatservedtodrawustogether。
AsforEllador:Supposeyoucometoastrangelandandfinditpleasantenough——justalittlemorethanordinarilypleasant——
andthenyoufindrichfarmland,andthengardens,gorgeousgardens,andthenpalacesfullofrareandcurioustreasures——
incalculable,inexhaustible,andthen——mountains——liketheHimalayas,andthenthesea。
Ilikedherthatdayshebalancedonthebranchbeforemeandnamedthetrio。Ithoughtofhermost。AfterwardIturnedtoherlikeafriendwhenwemetforthethirdtime,andcontinuedtheacquaintance。WhileJeff’sultra—devotionratherpuzzledCelis,reallyputofftheirdayofhappiness,whileTerryandAlimaquarreledandparted,re—metandre—parted,ElladorandIgrewtobeclosefriends。
Wetalkedandtalked。Wetooklongwalkstogether。Sheshowedmethings,explainedthem,interpretedmuchthatIhadnotunderstood。ThroughhersympatheticintelligenceIbecamemoreandmorecomprehendingofthespiritofthepeopleofHerland,moreandmoreappreciativeofitsmarvelousinnergrowthaswellasouterperfection。
Iceasedtofeelastranger,aprisoner。Therewasasenseofunderstanding,ofidentity,ofpurpose。Wediscussed——everything。
And,asItraveledfartherandfarther,exploringtherich,sweetsoulofher,mysenseofpleasantfriendshipbecamebutabroadfoundationforsuchheight,suchbreadth,suchinterlockedcombinationoffeelingasleftmefairlyblindedwiththewonderofit。
AsI’vesaid,Ihadnevercaredverymuchforwomen,northeyforme——notTerry—fashion。Butthisone——
AtfirstInevereventhoughtofher\"inthatway,\"asthegirlshaveit。IhadnotcometothecountrywithanyTurkish—haremintentions,andIwasnowoman—worshipperlikeJeff。Ijustlikedthatgirl\"asafriend,\"aswesay。Thatfriendshipgrewlikeatree。
ShewasSUCHagoodsport!Wedidallkindsofthingstogether。
ShetaughtmegamesandItaughthergames,andweracedandrowedandhadallmanneroffun,aswellashighercomradeship。
Then,asIgotonfarther,thepalaceandtreasuresandsnowymountainrangesopenedup。Ihadneverknowntherecouldbesuchahumanbeing。So——great。Idon’tmeantalented。Shewasaforester——oneofthebest——butitwasnotthatgiftImean。
WhenIsayGREAT,Imeangreat——big,allthrough。IfIhadknownmoreofthosewomen,asintimately,Ishouldnothavefoundhersounique;butevenamongthemshewasnoble。HermotherwasanOverMother——andhergrandmother,too,Iheardlater。
Soshetoldmemoreandmoreofherbeautifulland;andItoldherasmuch,yes,morethanIwantedto,aboutmine;andwebecameinseparable。Thenthisdeeperrecognitioncameandgrew。
Ifeltmyownsoulriseandliftitswings,asitwere。
Lifegotbigger。ItseemedasifIunderstood——asIneverhadbefore——
asifIcouldDothings——asifItoocouldgrow——ifshewouldhelpme。
AndthenItcame——tobothofus,allatonce。
Astillday——ontheedgeoftheworld,theirworld。Thetwoofus,gazingoutoverthefardimforestlandbelow,talkingofheavenandearthandhumanlife,andofmylandandotherlandsandwhattheyneededandwhatIhopedtodoforthem——
\"Ifyouwillhelpme,\"Isaid。
Sheturnedtome,withthathigh,sweetlookofhers,andthen,ashereyesrestedinmineandherhandstoo——thensuddenlythereblazedoutbetweenusafartherglory,instant,overwhelming——quitebeyondanywordsofminetotell。
Celiswasablue—and—gold—and—roseperson;Alma,black—
and—white—and—red,ablazingbeauty。Elladorwasbrown:hairdarkandsoft,likeasealcoat;clearbrownskinwithahealthyredinit;browneyes——allthewayfromtopaztoblackvelvettheyseemedtorange——splendidgirls,allofthem。
Theyhadseenusfirstofall,fardowninthelakebelow,andflashedthetidingsacrossthelandevenbeforeourfirstexploringflight。
Theyhadwatchedourlanding,flittedthroughtheforestwithus,hiddeninthattreeand——Ishrewdlysuspect——giggledonpurpose。
Theyhadkeptwatchoverourhoodedmachine,takingturnsatit;andwhenourescapewasannounced,hadfollowedalong—
sideforadayortwo,andbeenthereatthelast,asdescribed。
Theyfeltaspecialclaimonus——calledus\"theirmen\"——andwhenwewereatlibertytostudythelandandpeople,andbestudiedbythem,theirclaimwasrecognizedbythewiseleaders。
ButIfelt,wealldid,thatweshouldhavechosenthemamongmillions,unerringly。
Andyet\"thepathoftrueloveneverdidrunsmooth\";thisperiodofcourtshipwasfullofthemostunsuspectedpitfalls。
WritingthisaslateasIdo,aftermanifoldexperiencesbothinHerlandand,later,inmyownland,Icannowunderstandandphilosophizeaboutwhatwasthenacontinualastonishmentandoftenatemporarytragedy。
The\"longsuit\"inmostcourtshipsissexattraction,ofcourse。
Thengraduallydevelopssuchcomradeshipasthetwotemperamentsallow。Then,aftermarriage,thereiseithertheestablishmentofaslow—growing,widelybasedfriendship,thedeepest,tenderest,sweetestofrelations,alllitandwarmedbytherecurrentflameoflove;orelsethatprocessisreversed,lovecoolsandfades,nofriendshipgrows,thewholerelationturnsfrombeautytoashes。
Hereeverythingwasdifferent。Therewasnosex—feelingtoappealto,orpracticallynone。Twothousandyears’disusehadleftverylittleoftheinstinct;alsowemustrememberthatthosewhohadattimesmanifesteditasatavisticexceptionswereoften,bythatveryfact,deniedmotherhood。
Yetwhilethemotherprocessremains,theinherentgroundforsex—distinctionremainsalso;andwhoshallsaywhatlong—
forgottenfeeling,vagueandnameless,wasstirredinsomeofthesemotherheartsbyourarrival?
Whatleftusevenmoreatseainourapproachwasthelackofanysex—tradition。Therewasnoacceptedstandardofwhatwas\"manly\"andwhatwas\"womanly。\"
WhenJeffsaid,takingthefruitbasketfromhisadoredone,\"Awomanshouldnotcarryanything,\"Celissaid,\"Why?\"withthefrankestamazement。Hecouldnotlookthatfleet—footed,deep—chestedyoungforesterinthefaceandsay,\"Becausesheisweaker。\"Shewasn’t。Onedoesnotcallaracehorseweakbecauseitisvisiblynotacarthorse。
Hesaid,ratherlamely,thatwomenwerenotbuiltforheavywork。
Shelookedoutacrossthefieldstowheresomewomenwereworking,buildinganewbitofwalloutoflargestones;lookedbackatthenearesttownwithitswoman—builthouses;downatthesmooth,hardroadwewerewalkingon;andthenatthelittlebaskethehadtakenfromher。
\"Idon’tunderstand,\"shesaidquitesweetly。\"Arethewomeninyourcountrysoweakthattheycouldnotcarrysuchathingasthat?\"
\"Itisaconvention,\"hesaid。\"Weassumethatmotherhoodisasufficientburden——thatmenshouldcarryalltheothers。\"
\"Whatabeautifulfeeling!\"shesaid,herblueeyesshining。
\"Doesitwork?\"askedAlima,inherkeen,swiftway。\"Doallmeninallcountriescarryeverything?Orisitonlyinyours?\"
\"Don’tbesoliteral,\"Terrybeggedlazily。\"Whyaren’tyouwillingtobeworshippedandwaitedon?Weliketodoit。\"
\"Youdon’tliketohaveusdoittoyou,\"sheanswered。
\"That’sdifferent,\"hesaid,annoyed;andwhenshesaid,\"Whyisit?\"hequitesulked,referringhertome,saying,\"Van’sthephilosopher。\"
ElladorandItalkeditallouttogether,sothatwehadaneasierexperienceofitwhentherealmiracletimecame。Also,betweenus,wemadethingsclearertoJeffandCelis。ButTerrywouldnotlistentoreason。
HewasmadlyinlovewithAlima。Hewantedtotakeherbystorm,andnearlylostherforever。
Yousee,ifamanlovesagirlwhoisinthefirstplaceyoungandinexperienced;whointhesecondplaceiseducatedwithabackgroundofcavemantradition,amiddle—groundofpoetryandromance,andaforegroundofunspokenhopeandinterestallcenteringupontheoneEvent;andwhohas,furthermore,absolutelynootherhopeorinterestworthyofthename——
why,itisacomparativelyeasymattertosweepheroffherfeetwithadashingattack。Terrywasapastmasterinthisprocess。
Hetriedithere,andAlimawassoaffronted,sorepelled,thatitwasweeksbeforehegotnearenoughtotryagain。
Themorecoldlyshedeniedhim,thehotterhisdetermination;
hewasnotusedtorealrefusal。Theapproachofflatteryshedismissedwithlaughter,giftsandsuch\"attentions\"wecouldnotbringtobear,pathosandcomplaintofcrueltystirredonlyareasoninginquiry。IttookTerryalongtime。
IdoubtifsheeveracceptedherstrangeloverasfullyasdidCelisandElladortheirs。Hehadhurtandoffendedhertoooften;
therewerereservations。
ButIthinkAlimaretainedsomefaintvestigeoflong—
descendedfeelingwhichmadeTerrymorepossibletoherthantoothers;andthatshehadmadeuphermindtotheexperimentandhatedtorenounceit。
Howeveritcameabout,weallthreeatlengthachievedfullunderstanding,andsolemnlyfacedwhatwastothemastepofmeasurelessimportance,agravequestionaswellasagreathappiness;
tousastrange,newjoy。
Ofmarriageasaceremonytheyknewnothing。Jeffwasforbringingthemtoourcountryforthereligiousandthecivilceremony,butneitherCelisnortheotherswouldconsent。
\"Wecan’texpectthemtowanttogowithus——yet,\"saidTerrysagely。
\"Waitabit,boys。We’vegottotake’emontheirownterms——ifatall。\"
This,inruefulreminiscenceofhisrepeatedfailures。
\"Butourtime’scoming,\"headdedcheerfully。\"Thesewomenhaveneverbeenmastered,yousee——\"This,asonewhohadmadeadiscovery。
\"You’dbetternottrytodoanymasteringifyouvalueyourchances,\"Itoldhimseriously;butheonlylaughed,andsaid,\"Everymantohistrade!\"
Wecouldn’tdoanythingwithhim。Hehadtotakehisownmedicine。
Ifthelackoftraditionofcourtshipleftusmuchatseainourwooing,wefoundourselvesstillmorebewilderedbylackoftraditionofmatrimony。
Andhereagain,Ihavetodrawonlaterexperience,andasdeepanacquaintancewiththeircultureasIcouldachieve,toexplainthegulfsofdifferencebetweenus。
Twothousandyearsofonecontinuousculturewithnomen。
Backofthat,onlytraditionsoftheharem。TheyhadnoexactanalogueforourwordHOME,anymorethantheyhadforourRoman—basedFAMILY。
Theylovedoneanotherwithapracticallyuniversalaffection,risingtoexquisiteandunbrokenfriendships,andbroadeningtoadevotiontotheircountryandpeopleforwhichourwordPATRIOTISM
isnodefinitionatall。
Patriotism,redhot,iscompatiblewiththeexistenceofaneglectofnationalinterests,adishonesty,acoldindifferencetothesufferingofmillions。Patriotismislargelypride,andverylargelycombativeness。Patriotismgenerallyhasachiponitsshoulder。
Thiscountryhadnoothercountrytomeasureitselfby——savethefewpoorsavagesfarbelow,withwhomtheyhadnocontact。
Theylovedtheircountrybecauseitwastheirnursery,playground,andworkshop——theirsandtheirchildren’s。Theywereproudofitasaworkshop,proudoftheirrecordofever—increasingefficiency;theyhadmadeapleasantgardenofit,averypracticallittleheaven;butmostofalltheyvaluedit——andhereitishardforustounderstandthem——asaculturalenvironmentfortheirchildren。
That,ofcourse,isthekeynoteofthewholedistinction——
theirchildren。
Fromthosefirstbreathlesslyguarded,half—adoredracemothers,alluptheascendingline,theyhadthisdominantthoughtofbuildingupagreatracethroughthechildren。
Allthesurrenderingdevotionourwomenhaveputintotheirprivatefamilies,thesewomenputintotheircountryandrace。
Alltheloyaltyandservicemenexpectofwives,theygave,notsinglytomen,butcollectivelytooneanother。
Andthemotherinstinct,withussopainfullyintense,sothwartedbyconditions,soconcentratedinpersonaldevotiontoafew,sobitterlyhurtbydeath,disease,orbarrenness,andevenbythemeregrowthofthechildren,leavingthemotheraloneinheremptynest——allthisfeelingwiththemflowedoutinastrong,widecurrent,unbrokenthroughthegenerations,deepeningandwideningthroughtheyears,includingeverychildinalltheland。
Withtheirunitedpowerandwisdom,theyhadstudiedandovercomethe\"diseasesofchildhood\"——theirchildrenhadnone。
Theyhadfacedtheproblemsofeducationandsosolvedthemthattheirchildrengrewupasnaturallyasyoungtrees;learningthrougheverysense;taughtcontinuouslybutunconsciously——
neverknowingtheywerebeingeducated。
Infact,theydidnotusethewordaswedo。Theirideaofeducationwasthespecialtrainingtheytook,whenhalfgrownup,underexperts。Thentheeageryoungmindsfairlyflungthemselvesontheirchosensubjects,andacquiredwithanease,abreadth,agrasp,atwhichIneverceasedtowonder。
Butthebabiesandlittlechildrenneverfeltthepressureofthat\"forciblefeeding\"ofthemindthatwecall\"education。\"Ofthis,morelater。
CHAPTER9
OurRelationsandTheirsWhatI’mtryingtoshowhereisthatwiththesewomenthewholerelationshipoflifecountedinaglad,eagergrowing—uptojointheranksofworkersinthelinebestloved;adeep,tenderreverenceforone’sownmother——toodeepforthemtospeakoffreely——andbeyondthat,thewhole,free,widerangeofsisterhood,thesplendidserviceofthecountry,andfriendships。
Tothesewomenwecame,filledwiththeideas,convictions,traditions,ofourculture,andundertooktorouseinthemtheemotionswhich——tous——seemedproper。
Howevermuch,orlittle,oftruesex—feelingtherewasbetweenus,itphraseditselfintheirmindsintermsoffriendship,theonepurelypersonallovetheyknew,andofultimateparentage。Visiblywewerenotmothers,norchildren,norcompatriots;so,iftheylovedus,wemustbefriends。
Thatweshouldpairofftogetherinourcourtingdayswasnaturaltothem;thatwethreeshouldremainmuchtogether,astheydidthemselves,wasalsonatural。Wehadasyetnowork,sowehungaboutthemintheirforesttasks;thatwasnatural,too。
Butwhenwebegantotalkabouteachcouplehaving\"homes\"ofourown,theycouldnotunderstandit。
\"Ourworktakesusallaroundthecountry,\"explainedCelis。
\"Wecannotliveinoneplaceallthetime。\"
\"Wearetogethernow,\"urgedAlima,lookingproudlyatTerry’sstalwartnearness。(Thiswasoneofthetimeswhentheywere\"on,\"thoughpresently\"off\"again。)
\"It’snotthesamethingatall,\"heinsisted。\"Amanwantsahomeofhisown,withhiswifeandfamilyinit。\"
\"Stayinginit?Allthetime?\"askedEllador。\"Notimprisoned,surely!\"
\"Ofcoursenot!Livingthere——naturally,\"heanswered。
\"Whatdoesshedothere——allthetime?\"Alimademanded。
\"Whatisherwork?\"
ThenTerrypatientlyexplainedagainthatourwomendidnotwork——withreservations。
\"Butwhatdotheydo——iftheyhavenowork?\"shepersisted。
\"Theytakecareofthehome——andthechildren。\"
\"Atthesametime?\"askedEllador。
\"Whyyes。Thechildrenplayabout,andthemotherhaschargeofitall。Thereareservants,ofcourse。\"
Itseemedsoobvious,sonaturaltoTerry,thathealwaysgrewimpatient;butthegirlswerehonestlyanxioustounderstand。
\"Howmanychildrendoyourwomenhave?\"Alimahadhernotebookoutnow,andaratherfirmsetoflip。Terrybegantododge。
\"Thereisnosetnumber,mydear,\"heexplained。\"Somehavemore,somehaveless。\"
\"Somehavenoneatall,\"Iputinmischievously。
Theypouncedonthisadmissionandsoonwrungfromusthegeneralfactthatthosewomenwhohadthemostchildrenhadtheleastservants,andthosewhohadthemostservantshadtheleastchildren。
\"There!\"triumphedAlima。\"Oneortwoornochildren,andthreeorfourservants。NowwhatdothosewomenDO?\"
Weexplainedasbestwemight。Wetalkedof\"socialduties,\"
disingenuouslybankingontheirnotinterpretingthewordsaswedid;
wetalkedofhospitality,entertainment,andvarious\"interests。\"
Allthetimeweknewthattotheselarge—mindedwomenwhosewholementaloutlookwassocollective,thelimitationsofawhollypersonallifewereinconceivable。
\"Wecannotreallyunderstandit,\"Elladorconcluded。\"Weareonlyhalfapeople。Wehaveourwoman—waysandtheyhavetheirman—waysandtheirboth—ways。Wehaveworkedoutasystemoflivingwhichis,ofcourse,limited。Theymusthaveabroader,richer,betterone。Ishouldliketoseeit。\"
\"Youshall,dearest,\"Iwhispered。
\"There’snothingtosmoke,\"complainedTerry。HewasinthemidstofaprolongedquarrelwithAlima,andneededasedative。
\"There’snothingtodrink。Theseblessedwomenhavenopleasantvices。Iwishwecouldgetoutofhere!\"
Thiswishwasvain。Wewerealwaysunderacertaindegreeofwatchfulness。WhenTerryburstforthtotrampthestreetsatnighthealwaysfounda\"Colonel\"hereorthere;andwhen,onanoccasionoffiercethoughtemporarydespair,hehadplungedtothecliffedgewithsomevagueviewtoescape,hefoundseveralofthemcloseby。Wewerefree——buttherewasastringtoit。
\"They’venounpleasantones,either,\"Jeffremindedhim。
\"Wishtheyhad!\"Terrypersisted。\"They’veneitherthevicesofmen,northevirtuesofwomen——they’reneuters!\"
\"Youknowbetterthanthat。Don’ttalknonsense,\"saidI,severely。
IwasthinkingofEllador’seyeswhentheygavemeacertainlook,alookshedidnotatallrealize。
Jeffwasequallyincensed。\"Idon’tknowwhat`virtuesofwomen’youmiss。Seemstometheyhaveallofthem。\"
\"They’venomodesty,\"snappedTerry。\"Nopatience,nosubmissiveness,noneofthatnaturalyieldingwhichiswoman’sgreatestcharm。\"
Ishookmyheadpityingly。\"Goandapologizeandmakefriendsagain,Terry。You’vegotagrouch,that’sall。Thesewomenhavethevirtueofhumanity,withlessofitsfaultsthananyfolksIeversaw。Asforpatience——they’dhavepitchedusoverthecliffsthefirstdaywelitamong’em,iftheyhadn’tthat。\"
\"Thereareno——distractions,\"hegrumbled。\"Nowhereamancangoandcutlooseabit。It’saneverlastingparlorandnursery。\"
\"andworkshop,\"Iadded。\"Andschool,andoffice,andlaboratory,andstudio,andtheater,and——home。\"
\"HOME!\"hesneered。\"Thereisn’tahomeinthewholepitifulplace。\"
\"Thereisn’tanythingelse,andyouknowit,\"Jeffretortedhotly。\"Ineversaw,Ineverdreamedof,suchuniversalpeaceandgoodwillandmutualaffection。\"
\"Oh,well,ofcourse,ifyoulikeaperpetualSundayschool,it’sallverywell。ButIlikeSomethingDoing。Hereit’salldone。\"
Therewassomethingtothiscriticism。Theyearsofpioneeringlayfarbehindthem。Theirswasacivilizationinwhichtheinitialdifficultieshadlongsincebeenovercome。Theuntroubledpeace,theunmeasuredplenty,thesteadyhealth,thelargegoodwillandsmoothmanagementwhichorderedeverything,leftnothingtoovercome。Itwaslikeapleasantfamilyinanoldestablished,perfectlyruncountryplace。
Ilikeditbecauseofmyeagerandcontinuedinterestinthesociologicalachievementsinvolved。Jefflikeditashewouldhavelikedsuchafamilyandsuchaplaceanywhere。
Terrydidnotlikeitbecausehefoundnothingtooppose,tostrugglewith,toconquer。
\"Lifeisastruggle,hastobe,\"heinsisted。\"Ifthereisnostruggle,thereisnolife——that’sall。\"
\"You’retalkingnonsense——masculinenonsense,\"thepeacefulJeffreplied。HewascertainlyawarmdefenderofHerland。\"Antsdon’traisetheirmyriadsbyastruggle,dothey?Orthebees?\"
\"Oh,ifyougobacktoinsects——andwanttoliveinananthill——!
Itellyouthehighergradesoflifearereachedonlythroughstruggle——combat。There’snoDramahere。Lookattheirplays!
Theymakemesick。\"
Heratherhadusthere。Thedramaofthecountrywas——toourtaste——ratherflat。Yousee,theylackedthesexmotiveand,withit,jealousy。Theyhadnointerplayofwarringnations,noaristocracyanditsambitions,nowealthandpovertyopposition。
IseeIhavesaidlittleabouttheeconomicsoftheplace;itshouldhavecomebefore,butI’llgoonaboutthedramanow。
Theyhadtheirownkind。Therewasamostimpressivearrayofpageantry,ofprocessions,asortofgrandritual,withtheirartsandtheirreligionbroadlyblended。Theverybabiesjoinedinit。
Toseeoneoftheirgreatannualfestivals,withthemassedandmarchingstatelinessofthosegreatmothers,theyoungwomenbraveandnoble,beautifulandstrong;andthenthechildren,takingpartasnaturallyasourswouldfrolicroundaChristmastree——itwasoverpoweringintheimpressionofjoyous,triumphantlife。
Theyhadbegunataperiodwhenthedrama,thedance,music,religion,andeducationwereallveryclosetogether;andinsteadofdevelopingthemindetachedlines,theyhadkepttheconnection。Letmetryagaintogive,ifIcan,afaintsenseofthedifferenceinthelifeview——thebackgroundandbasisonwhichtheirculturerested。
Elladortoldmealotaboutit。Shetookmetoseethechildren,thegrowinggirls,thespecialteachers。Shepickedoutbooksformetoread。ShealwaysseemedtounderstandjustwhatIwantedtoknow,andhowtogiveittome。
WhileTerryandAlimastrucksparksandparted——healwaysmadlydrawntoherandshetohim——shemusthavebeen,orshe’dneverhavestoodthewayhebehaved——ElladorandIhadalreadyadeep,restfulfeeling,asifwe’dalwayshadoneanother。
JeffandCeliswerehappy;therewasnoquestionofthat;
butitdidn’tseemtomeasiftheyhadthegoodtimeswedid。
Well,hereistheHerlandchildfacinglife——asElladortriedtoshowittome。Fromthefirstmemory,theyknewPeace,Beauty,Order,Safety,Love,Wisdom,Justice,Patience,andPlenty。
By\"plenty\"Imeanthatthebabiesgrewupinanenvironmentwhichmettheirneeds,justasyoungfawnsmightgrowupindewyforestgladesandbrook—fedmeadows。Andtheyenjoyeditasfranklyandutterlyasthefawnswould。
Theyfoundthemselvesinabigbrightlovelyworld,fullofthemostinterestingandenchantingthingstolearnaboutandtodo。
Thepeopleeverywherewerefriendlyandpolite。NoHerlandchildevermettheoverbearingrudenesswesocommonlyshowtochildren。TheywerePeople,too,fromthefirst;themostpreciouspartofthenation。
Ineachstepoftherichexperienceofliving,theyfoundtheinstancetheywerestudyingwidenoutintocontactwithanendlessrangeofcommoninterests。ThethingstheylearnedwereRELATED,fromthefirst;relatedtooneanother,andtothenationalprosperity。
\"Itwasabutterflythatmademeaforester,\"saidEllador。
\"Iwasaboutelevenyearsold,andIfoundabigpurple—and—greenbutterflyonalowflower。Icaughtit,verycarefully,bytheclosedwings,asIhadbeentoldtodo,andcarriedittothenearestinsectteacher\"——Imadeanotetheretoaskherwhatonearthaninsectteacherwas——\"toaskheritsname。Shetookitfrommewithalittlecryofdelight。`Oh,youblessedchild,’shesaid。`Doyoulikeobernuts?’OfcourseIlikedobernuts,andsaidso。Itisourbestfood—nut,youknow。`Thisisafemaleoftheobernutmoth,’shetoldme。`Theyarealmostgone。Wehavebeentryingtoexterminatethemforcenturies。Ifyouhadnotcaughtthisone,itmighthavelaideggsenoughtoraisewormsenoughtodestroythousandsofournuttrees——thousandsofbushelsofnuts——andmakeyearsandyearsoftroubleforus。’
\"Everybodycongratulatedme。Thechildrenalloverthecountryweretoldtowatchforthatmoth,iftherewereanymore。
Iwasshownthehistoryofthecreature,andanaccountofthedamageitusedtodoandofhowlongandhardourforemothershadworkedtosavethattreeforus。Igrewafoot,itseemedtome,anddeterminedthenandtheretobeaforester。\"
Thisisbutaninstance;sheshowedmemany。Thebigdifferencewasthatwhereasourchildrengrowupinprivatehomesandfamilies,witheveryeffortmadetoprotectandsecludethemfromadangerousworld,heretheygrewupinawide,friendlyworld,andknewitfortheirs,fromthefirst。
Theirchild—literaturewasawonderfulthing。Icouldhavespentyearsfollowingthedelicatesubtleties,thesmoothsimplicitieswithwhichtheyhadbentthatgreatarttotheserviceofthechildmind。
Wehavetwolifecycles:theman’sandthewoman’s。Tothemanthereisgrowth,struggle,conquest,theestablishmentofhisfamily,andasmuchfurthersuccessingainorambitionashecanachieve。
Tothewoman,growth,thesecuringofahusband,thesubordinateactivitiesoffamilylife,andafterwardsuch\"social\"orcharitableinterestsasherpositionallows。
Herewasbutonecycle,andthatalargeone。
Thechildentereduponabroadopenfieldoflife,inwhichmotherhoodwastheonegreatpersonalcontributiontothenationallife,andalltheresttheindividualshareintheircommonactivities。
EverygirlItalkedto,atanyageabovebabyhood,hadhercheerfuldeterminationastowhatshewasgoingtobewhenshegrewup。
WhatTerrymeantbysayingtheyhadno\"modesty\"wasthatthisgreatlife—viewhadnoshadyplaces;theyhadahighsenseofpersonaldecorum,butnoshame——noknowledgeofanythingtobeashamedof。
Eventheirshortcomingsandmisdeedsinchildhoodneverwerepresentedtothemassins;merelyaserrorsandmisplays——
asinagame。Someofthem,whowerepalpablylessagreeablethanothersorwhohadarealweaknessorfault,weretreatedwithcheerfulallowance,asafriendlygroupatwhistwouldtreatapoorplayer。
Theirreligion,yousee,wasmaternal;andtheirethics,basedonthefullperceptionofevolution,showedtheprincipleofgrowthandthebeautyofwiseculture。Theyhadnotheoryoftheessentialoppositionofgoodandevil;lifetothemwasgrowth;theirpleasurewasingrowing,andtheirdutyalso。
Withthisbackground,withtheirsublimatedmother—love,expressedintermsofwidestsocialactivity,everyphaseoftheirworkwasmodifiedbyitseffectonthenationalgrowth。Thelanguageitselftheyhaddeliberatelyclarified,simplified,madeeasyandbeautiful,forthesakeofthechildren。
Thisseemedtousawhollyincrediblething:first,thatanynationshouldhavetheforesight,thestrength,andthepersistencetoplanandfulfillsuchatask;andsecond,thatwomenshouldhavehadsomuchinitiative。Wehaveassumed,asamatterofcourse,thatwomenhadnone;thatonlytheman,withhisnaturalenergyandimpatienceofrestriction,wouldeverinventanything。
Herewefoundthatthepressureoflifeupontheenvironmentdevelopsinthehumanminditsinventivereactions,regardlessofsex;
andfurther,thatafullyawakenedmotherhoodplansandworkswithoutlimit,forthegoodofthechild。
Thatthechildrenmightbemostnoblyborn,andrearedinanenvironmentcalculatedtoallowtherichest,freestgrowth,theyhaddeliberatelyremodeledandimprovedthewholestate。
Idonotmeanintheleastthattheystoppedatthat,anymorethanachildstopsatchildhood。Themostimpressivepartoftheirwholeculturebeyondthisperfectsystemofchild—rearingwastherangeofinterestsandassociationsopentothemall,forlife。
ButinthefieldofliteratureIwasmoststruck,atfirst,bythechild—motive。
Theyhadthesamegradationofsimplerepetitiveverseandstorythatwearefamiliarwith,andthemostexquisite,imaginativetales;
butwhere,withus,thesearethedribbledremnantsofancientfolkmythsandprimitivelullabies,theirsweretheexquisiteworkofgreatartists;notonlysimpleandunfailinginappealtothechild—mind,butTRUE,truetothelivingworldaboutthem。
Tositinoneoftheirnurseriesforadaywastochangeone’sviewsforeverastobabyhood。Theyoungestones,rosyfatlingsintheirmothers’arms,orsleepinglightlyintheflower—sweetair,seemednaturalenough,savethattheynevercried。IneverheardachildcryinHerland,saveonceortwiceatabadfall;andthenpeoplerantohelp,aswewouldatascreamofagonyfromagrownperson。
Eachmotherhadheryearofglory;thetimetoloveandlearn,livingcloselywithherchild,nursingitproudly,oftenfortwoyearsormore。Thisperhapswasonereasonfortheirwonderfulvigor。
Butafterthebaby—yearthemotherwasnotsoconstantlyinattendance,unless,indeed,herworkwasamongthelittleones。
Shewasneverfaroff,however,andherattitudetowardtheco—mothers,whoseproudchild—servicewasdirectandcontinuous,waslovelytosee。
Asforthebabies——agroupofthosenakeddarlingsplayingonshortvelvetgrass,clean—swept;orrugsassoft;orinshallowpoolsofbrightwater;tumblingoverwithbubblingjoyousbabylaughter——
itwasaviewofinfanthappinesssuchasIhadneverdreamed。
Thebabieswererearedinthewarmerpartofthecountry,andgraduallyacclimatedtothecoolerheightsastheygrewolder。
Sturdychildrenoftenandtwelveplayedinthesnowasjoyfullyasoursdo;therewerecontinuousexcursionsofthem,fromonepartofthelandtoanother,sothattoeachchildthewholecountrymightbehome。
Itwasalltheirs,waitingforthemtolearn,tolove,touse,toserve;asourownlittleboysplantobe\"abigsoldier,\"or\"acowboy,\"orwhateverpleasestheirfancy;andourlittlegirlsplanforthekindofhometheymeantohave,orhowmanychildren;
theseplanned,freelyandgailywithmuchhappychattering,ofwhattheywoulddoforthecountrywhentheyweregrown。
Itwastheeagerhappinessofthechildrenandyoungpeoplewhichfirstmademeseethefollyofthatcommonnotionofours——thatiflifewassmoothandhappy,peoplewouldnotenjoyit。
AsIstudiedtheseyoungsters,vigorous,joyous,eagerlittlecreatures,andtheirvoraciousappetiteforlife,itshookmypreviousideassothoroughlythattheyhaveneverbeenre—established。
Thesteadylevelofgoodhealthgavethemallthatnaturalstimulusweusedtocall\"animalspirits\"——anoddcontradictioninterms。
Theyfoundthemselvesinanimmediateenvironmentwhichwasagreeableandinteresting,andbeforethemstretchedtheyearsoflearninganddiscovery,thefascinating,endlessprocessofeducation。
AsIlookedintothesemethodsandcomparedthemwithourown,mystrangeuncomfortablesenseofrace—humilitygrewapace。
Elladorcouldnotunderstandmyastonishment。Sheexplainedthingskindlyandsweetly,butwithsomeamazementthattheyneededexplaining,andwithsuddenquestionsastohowwediditthatleftmemeekerthanever。
IbetookmyselftoSomeloneday,carefullynottakingEllador。
IdidnotmindseemingfoolishtoSomel——shewasusedtoit。
\"Iwantachapterofexplanation,\"Itoldher。\"Youknowmystupiditiesbyheart,andIdonotwanttoshowthemtoEllador——shethinksmesowise!\"
Shesmileddelightedly。\"Itisbeautifultosee,\"shetoldme,\"thisnewwonderfullovebetweenyou。Thewholecountryisinterested,youknow——howcanwehelpit!\"
Ihadnotthoughtofthat。Wesay:\"Alltheworldlovesalover,\"
buttohaveacoupleofmillionpeoplewatchingone’scourtship——andthatadifficultone——wasratherembarrassing。
\"Tellmeaboutyourtheoryofeducation,\"Isaid。\"Makeitshortandeasy。And,toshowyouwhatpuzzlesme,I’lltellyouthatinourtheorygreatstressislaidontheforcedexertionofthechild’smind;wethinkitisgoodforhimtoovercomeobstacles。\"
\"Ofcourseitis,\"sheunexpectedlyagreed。\"Allourchildrendothat——theyloveto。\"
Thatpuzzledmeagain。Iftheylovedtodoit,howcoulditbeeducational?
\"Ourtheoryisthis,\"shewentoncarefully。\"Hereisayounghumanbeing。Themindisasnaturalathingasthebody,athingthatgrows,athingtouseandenjoy。Weseektonourish,tostimulate,toexercisethemindofachildaswedothebody。
Therearethetwomaindivisionsineducation——youhavethoseofcourse?——thethingsitisnecessarytoknow,andthethingsitisnecessarytodo。\"
\"Todo?Mentalexercises,youmean?\"
\"Yes。Ourgeneralplanisthis:Inthematteroffeedingthemind,offurnishinginformation,weuseourbestpowerstomeetthenaturalappetiteofahealthyyoungbrain;nottooverfeedit,toprovidesuchamountandvarietyofimpressionsasseemmostwelcometoeachchild。Thatistheeasiestpart。Theotherdivisionisinarrangingaproperlygraduatedseriesofexerciseswhichwillbestdevelopeachmind;thecommonfacultiesweallhave,andmostcarefully,theespecialfacultiessomeofushave。
Youdothisalso,doyounot?\"
\"Inaway,\"Isaidratherlamely。\"Wehavenotsosubtleandhighlydevelopedasystemasyou,notapproachingit;buttellmemore。
Astotheinformation——howdoyoumanage?Itappearsthatallofyouknowprettymucheverything——isthatright?\"
Thisshelaughinglydisclaimed。\"Bynomeans。Weare,asyousoonfoundout,extremelylimitedinknowledge。Iwishyoucouldrealizewhatafermentthecountryisinoverthenewthingsyouhavetoldus;thepassionateeagernessamongthousandsofustogotoyourcountryandlearn——learn——learn!Butwhatwedoknowisreadilydivisibleintocommonknowledgeandspecialknowledge。Thecommonknowledgewehavelongsincelearnedtofeedintothemindsofourlittleoneswithnowasteoftimeorstrength;thespecialknowledgeisopentoall,astheydesireit。Someofusspecializeinonelineonly。Butmosttakeupseveral——somefortheirregularwork,sometogrowwith。\"
\"Togrowwith?\"
\"Yes。Whenonesettlestoocloseinonekindofworkthereisatendencytoatrophyinthedisusedportionsofthebrain。
Weliketokeeponlearning,always。\"
\"Whatdoyoustudy?\"
\"Asmuchasweknowofthedifferentsciences。Wehave,withinourlimits,agooddealofknowledgeofanatomy,physiology,nutrition——allthatpertainstoafullandbeautifulpersonallife。
Wehaveourbotanyandchemistry,andsoon——veryrudimentary,butinteresting;ourownhistory,withitsaccumulatingpsychology。\"
\"Youputpsychologywithhistory——notwithpersonallife?\"
\"Ofcourse。Itisours;itisamongandbetweenus,anditchangeswiththesucceedingandimprovinggenerations。Weareatwork,slowlyandcarefully,developingourwholepeoplealongtheselines。
Itisgloriouswork——splendid!Toseethethousandsofbabiesimproving,showingstrongerclearerminds,sweeterdispositions,highercapacities——
don’tyoufinditsoinyourcountry?\"
ThisIevadedflatly。Irememberedthecheerlessclaimthatthehumanmindwasnobetterthaninitsearliestperiodofsavagery,onlybetterinformed——astatementIhadneverbelieved。
\"Wetrymostearnestlyfortwopowers,\"Somelcontinued。
\"Thetwothatseemtousbasicallynecessaryforallnoblelife:
aclear,far—reachingjudgment,andastrongwell—usedwill。Wespendourbestefforts,allthroughchildhoodandyouth,indevelopingthesefaculties,individualjudgmentandwill。\"
\"Aspartofyoursystemofeducation,youmean?\"
\"Exactly。Asthemostvaluablepart。Withthebabies,asyoumayhavenoticed,wefirstprovideanenvironmentwhichfeedsthemindwithouttiringit;allmannerofsimpleandinterestingthingstodo,assoonastheyareoldenoughtodothem;physicalproperties,ofcourse,comefirst。Butasearlyaspossible,goingverycarefully,nottotaxthemind,weprovidechoices,simplechoices,withveryobviouscausesandconsequences。You’venoticedthegames?\"
Ihad。Thechildrenseemedalwaysplayingsomething;orelse,sometimes,engagedinpeacefulresearchesoftheirown。Ihadwonderedatfirstwhentheywenttoschool,butsoonfoundthattheyneverdid——
totheirknowledge。Itwasalleducationbutnoschooling。