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The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft-Part9_George Gissing(1857-1903)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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became clearly audible to you; the dominant note would be that of



moods, tempers, opinions at jar. Who but the most amiable dreamer

can doubt it? This, mind you, is not the same thing as saying that



angry emotion is the ruling force in human life; the facts of our

civilization prove the contrary. Just because, and only because,



the natural spirit of conflict finds such frequent scope, does human

society hold together, and, on the whole, present a pacific aspect.



In the course of ages (one would like to know how many) man has

attained a remarkable degree of self-control; dire experience has



forced upon him the necessity of compromise, and habit has inclined

him (the individual) to prefer a quiet, orderly life. But by



instinct he is still a quarrelsome creature, and he gives vent to

the impulse as far as it is compatible with his reasoned interests--



often, to be sure, without regard for that limit. The average man

or woman is always at open discord with some one; the great majority



could not live without oft-recurrent squabble. Speak in confidence

with any one you like, and get him to tell you how many cases of



coldness, alienation, or downrightenmity, between friends and

kinsfolk, his memory registers; the number will be considerable, and



what a vastly greater number of everyday "misunderstandings" may be

thence inferred! Verbal contention is, of course, commoner among



the poor and the vulgar than in the class of well-bred people living

at their ease, but I doubt whether the lower ranks of society find



personal association much more difficult than the refined minority

above them. High cultivation may help to self-command, but it



multiplies the chances of irritative contact. In mansion, as in

hovel, the strain of life is perpetually felt--between the married,



between parents and children, between relatives of every degree,

between employers and employed. They debate, they dispute, they



wrangle, they explode--then nerves are relieved, and they are ready

to begin over again. Quit the home and quarrelling is less obvious,



but it goes on all about one. What proportion of the letters

delivered any morning would be found to be written in displeasure,



in petulance, in wrath? The postbag shrieks insults or bursts with

suppressed malice. Is it not wonderful--nay, is it not the marvel



of marvels--that human life has reached such a high point of public

and private organization?



And gentle idealists utter their indignant wonder at the continuance

of war! Why, it passes the wit of man to explain how it is that



nations are ever at peace! For, if only by the rarest good fortune

do individuals associate harmoniously, there would seem to be much



less likelihood of mutual understanding and good-will between the

peoples of alien lands. As a matter of fact, no two nations are



ever friendly, in the sense of truly liking each other; with the

reciprocal criticism of countries there always mingles a sentiment



of animosity. The original meaning of hostis is merely stranger,

and a stranger who is likewise a foreigner will only by curious



exception fail to stir antipathy in the average human being. Add to

this that a great number of persons in every country find their



delight and their business in exasperating international disrelish,

and with what vestige of common sense can one feel surprise that war



is ceaselessly talked of, often enough declared. In days gone by,

distance and rarity of communicationassured peace between many



realms. Now that every country is in proximity to every other, what

need is there to elaborate explanations of the distrust, the fear,



the hatred, which are a perpetual theme of journalists and

statesmen? By approximation, all countries have entered the sphere






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