again；　can　I　understand　why　their　having　done　so　should　have　been；
  as　it　certainly　was；　a　matter　of　so　much　concern　to　myself。　　What
  could　it　matter　to　me　how　many　absurdities　the　Erewhonians　might
  adopt？　　Nevertheless　I　longed　to　make　them　think　as　I　did；　for　the
  wish　to　spread　those　opinions　that　we　hold　conducive　to　our　own
  welfare　is　so　deeply　rooted　in　the　English　character　that　few　of　us
  can　escape　its　influence。　　But　let　this　pass。
  In　spite　of　not　a　few　modifications　in　practice　of　a　theory　which
  is　itself　revolting；　the　relations　between　children　and　parents　in
  that　country　are　less　happy　than　in　Europe。　　It　was　rarely　that　I
  saw　cases　of　real　hearty　and　intense　affection　between　the　old
  people　and　the　young　ones。　　Here　and　there　I　did　so；　and　was　quite
  sure　that　the　children；　even　at　the　age　of　twenty；　were　fonder　of
  their　parents　than　they　were　of　any　one　else；　and　that　of　their　own
  inclination；　being　free　to　choose　what　company　they　would；　they
  would　often　choose　that　of　their　father　and　mother。　　The
  straightener's　carriage　was　rarely　seen　at　the　door　of　those
  houses。　　I　saw　two　or　three　such　cases　during　the　time　that　I
  remained　in　the　country；　and　cannot　express　the　pleasure　which　I
  derived　from　a　sight　suggestive　of　so　much　goodness　and　wisdom　and
  forbearance；　so　richly　rewarded；　yet　I　firmly　believe　that　the　same
  thing　would　happen　in　nine　families　out　of　ten　if　the　parents　were
  merely　to　remember　how　they　felt　when　they　were　young；　and　actually
  to　behave　towards　their　children　as　they　would　have　had　their　own
  parents　behave　towards　themselves。　　But　this；　which　would　appear　to
  be　so　simple　and　obvious；　seems　also　to　be　a　thing　which　not　one　in
  a　hundred　thousand　is　able　to　put　in　practice。　　It　is　only　the　very
  great　and　good　who　have　any　living　faith　in　the　simplest　axioms；
  and　there　are　few　who　are　so　holy　as　to　feel　that　19　and　13　make　32
  as　certainly　as　2　and　2　make　4。
  I　am　quite　sure　that　if　this　narrative　should　ever　fall　into
  Erewhonian　hands；　it　will　be　said　that　what　I　have　written　about
  the　relations　between　parents　and　children　being　seldom
  satisfactory　is　an　infamous　perversion　of　facts；　and　that　in　truth
  there　are　few　young　people　who　do　not　feel　happier　in　the　society
  of　their　nearest　relations　｛4｝　than　in　any　other。　　Mr。　Nosnibor
  would　be　sure　to　say　this。　　Yet　I　cannot　refrain　from　expressing　an
  opinion　that　he　would　be　a　good　deal　embarrassed　if　his　deceased
  parents　were　to　reappear　and　propose　to　pay　him　a　six　months'
  visit。　　I　doubt　whether　there　are　many　things　which　he　would　regard
  as　a　greater　infliction。　　They　had　died　at　a　ripe　old　age　some
  twenty　years　before　I　came　to　know　him；　so　the　case　is　an　extreme
  one；　but　surely　if　they　had　treated　him　with　what　in　his　youth　he
  had　felt　to　be　true　unselfishness；　his　face　would　brighten　when　he
  thought　of　them　to　the　end　of　his　life。
  In　the　one　or　two　cases　of　true　family　affection　which　I　met　with；
  I　am　sure　that　the　young　people　who　were　so　genuinely　fond　of　their
  fathers　and　mothers　at　eighteen；　would　at　sixty　be　perfectly
  delighted　were　they　to　get　the　chance　of　welcoming　them　as　their
  guests。　　There　is　nothing　which　could　please　them　better；　except
  perhaps　to　watch　the　happiness　of　their　own　children　and
  grandchildren。
  This　is　how　things　should　be。　　It　is　not　an　impossible　ideal；　it　is
  one　which　actually　does　exist　in　some　few　cases；　and　might　exist　in
  almost　all；　with　a　little　more　patience　and　forbearance　upon　the
  parents'　part；　but　it　is　rare　at　presentso　rare　that　they　have　a
  proverb　which　I　can　only　translate　in　a　very　roundabout　way；　but
  which　says　that　the　great　happiness　of　some　people　in　a　future
  state　will　consist　in　watching　the　distress　of　their　parents　on
  returning　to　eternal　companionship　with　their　grandfathers　and
  grandmothers；　whilst　〃compulsory　affection〃　is　the　idea　which　lies
  at　the　root　of　their　word　for　the　deepest　anguish。
  There　is　no　talisman　in　the　word　〃parent〃　which　can　generate
  miracles　of　affection；　and　I　can　well　believe　that　my　own　child
  might　find　it　less　of　a　calamity　to　lose　both　Arowhena　and　myself
  when　he　is　six　years　old；　than　to　find　us　again　when　he　is　sixtya
  sentence　which　I　would　not　pen　did　I　not　feel　that　by　doing　so　I
  was　giving　him　something　like　a　hostage；　or　at　any　rate　putting　a
  weapon　into　his　hands　against　me；　should　my　selfishness　exceed
  reasonable　limits。
  Money　is　at　the　bottom　of　all　this　to　a　great　extent。　　If　the
  parents　would　put　their　children　in　the　way　of　earning　a　competence
  earlier　than　they　do；　the　children　would　soon　become　self…
  supporting　and　independent。　　As　it　is；　under　the　present　system；
  the　young　ones　get　old　enough　to　have　all　manner　of　legitimate
  wants　（that　is；　if　they　have　any　〃go〃　about　them）　before　they　have
  learnt　the　means　of　earning　money　to　pay　for　them；　hence　they　must
  either　do　without　them；　or　take　more　money　than　the　parents　can　be
  expected　to　spare。　　This　is　due　chiefly　to　the　schools　of　Unreason；
  where　a　boy　is　taught　upon　hypothetical　principles；　as　I　will
  explain　hereafter；　spending　years　in　being　incapacitated　for　doing
  this；　that；　or　the　other　（he　hardly　knows　what）；　during　all　which
  time　he　ought　to　have　been　actually　doing　the　thing　itself；
  beginning　at　the　lowest　grades；　picking　it　up　through　actual
  practice；　and　rising　according　to　the　energy　which　is　in　him。
  These　schools　of　Unreason　surprised　me　much。　　It　would　be　easy　to
  fall　into　pseudo…utilitarianism；　and　I　would　fain　believe　that　the
  system　may　be　good　for　the　children　of　very　rich　parents；　or　for
  those　who　show　a　natural　instinct　to　acquire　hypothetical　lore；　but
  the　misery　was　that　their　Ydgrun…worship　required　all　people　with
  any　pretence　to　respectability　to　send　their　children　to　some　one
  or　other　of　these　schools；　mulcting　them　of　years　of　money。　　It
  astonished　me　to　see　what　sacrifices　the　parents　would　make　in
  order　to　render　their　children　as　nearly　useless　as　possible；　and
  it　was　hard　to　say　whether　the　old　suffered　most　from　the　expense
  which　they　were　thus　put　to；　or　the　young　from　being　deliberately
  swindled　in　some　of　the　most　important　branches　of　human　inquiry；
  and　directed　into　false　channels　or　left　to　drift　in　the　great
  majority　of　cases。
  I　cannot　think　I　am　mistaken　in　believing　that　the　growing　tendency
  to　limit　families　by　infanticidean　evil　which　was　causing　general
  alarm　throughout　the　countrywas　almost　entirely　due　to　the　way　in
  which　education　had　become　a　fetish　from　one　end　of　Erewhon　to　the
  other。　　Granted　that　provision　should　be　made　whereby　every　child
  should　be　taught　reading；　writing；　and　arithmetic；　but　here
  compulsory　state…aided　education　should　end；　and　the　child　should
  begin　（with　all　due　precautions　to　ensure　that　he　is　not
  overworked）　to　acquire　the　rudiments　of　that　art　whereby　he　is　to
  earn　his　living。
  He　cannot　acquire　these　in　what　we　in　England　call　schools　of
  technical　education；　such　schools　are　cloister　life　as　against　the
  rough　and　tumble　of　the　world；　they　unfit；　rather　than　fit　for　work
  in　the　open。　　An　art　can　only　be　learned　in　the　workshop　of　those
  who　are　winning　their　bread　by　it。
  Boys；　as　a　rule；　hate　the　artificial；　and　delight　in　the　actual；
  give　them　the　chance　of　earning；　and　they　will　soon　earn。　　When
  parents　find　that　their　children；　instead　of　being　made
  artificially　burdensome；　will　early　begin　to　contribute　to　the
  well…being　of　the　family；　they　will　soon　leave　off　killing　them；
  and　will　seek　to　have　that　plenitude　of　offspring　which　they　now
  avoid。　　As　things　are；　the　state　lays　greater　burdens　on　parents
  than　flesh　and　blood　can　bear；　and　then　wrings　its　hands　over　an
  evil　for　which　it　is　itself　mainly　responsible。
  With　the　less　well…dressed　classes　the　harm　was　not　so　great；　for
  among　these；　at　about　ten　years　old；　the　child　has　to　begin　doing
  something：　　if　he　is　capable　he　makes　his　way　up；　if　he　is　not；　he
  is　at　any　rate　not　made　more　incapable　by　what　his　friends　are
  pleased　to　call　his　education。　　People　find　their　level　as　a　rule；
  and　though　they　unfortunately　sometimes　miss　it；　it　is　in　the　main
  true　that　those　who　have　valuable　qualities　are　perceived　to　have
  them　and　can　sell　them。　　I　think　that　the　Erewhonians　are　beginning
  to　become　aware　of　these　things；　for　there　was　much　talk　about
  putting　a　tax　upon　all　parents　whose　children　were　not　earning　a
  competence　according　to　their　degrees　by　the　time　they　were　twenty
  years　old。　　I　am　sure　that　if　they　will　have　the　courage　to　carry
  it　through　they　will　never　regret　it；　for　the　parents　will　take
  care　that　the　children　shall　begin　earning　money　（which　means
  〃doing　good〃　to　society）　at　an　early　age；　then　the　children　will　be
  independent　early；　and　they　will　not　press　on　the　parents；　nor　the
  parents　on　them；　and　they　will　like　each　other　better　than　they　do
  now。
  This　is　the　true　philanthropy。　　He　who　makes　a　colossal　fortune　in
  the　hosiery　trade；　and　by　his　energy　has　succeeded　in　reducing　the
  price　of　woollen　goods　by　the　thousandth　part　of　a　penny　in　the
  poundthis　man　is　worth　ten　professional　philanthropists。　　So
  strongly　are　the　Erewhonians　impressed　with　this；　that　if　a　man　has
  made　a　fortune　of　over　20；000　pounds