第21部分(第5/7 頁)

ty……that　the　agricultural　life　is；　in　itself；　favourable　to　gentle　emotions；　to　sweet　thoughtfulness；　and　to　all　the　human　virtues。　Agriculture　is　one　of　the　most　exhausting　forms　of　toil；　and；　in　itself；　by　no　means　conducive　to　spiritual　development；　that　it　played　a　civilizing　part　in　the　history　of　the　world　is　merely　due　to　the　fact　that；　by　creating　wealth；　it　freed　a　portion　of　mankind　from　the　labour　of　the　plough。　Enthusiasts　have　tried　the　experiment　of　turning　husbandman；　one　of　them　writes　of　his　experience　in　notable　phrase。

〃Oh；　labour　is　the　curse　of　the　world；　and　nobody　can　meddle　with　it　without　being　proportionately　brutified。　Is　it　a　praiseworthy　matter　that　I　have　spent　five　golden　months　in　providing　food　for　cows　and　horses？　It　is　not　so。〃

Thus　Nathaniel　Hawthorne；　at　Brook　Farm。　In　the　bitterness　of　his　disillusion　he　went　too　far。　Labour　may　be；　and　very　often　is；　an　accursed　and　a　brutalizing　thing；　but　assuredly；　it　is　not　the　curse　of　the　world；　nay；　it　is　the　world's　supreme　blessing。　Hawthorne　had　mitted　a　folly；　and　he　paid　for　it　in　loss　of　mental　balance。　For　him；　plainly；　it　was　no　suitable　task　to　feed　cows　and　horses；　yet　many　a　man　would　perceive　the　nobler　side　of　such　occupation；　for　it　signifies；　of　course；　providing　food　for　mankind。　The　interest　of　this　quotation　lies　in　the　fact　that；　all　unconsciously；　so　intelligent　a　man　as　Hawthorne　had　been　reduced　to　the　mental　state　of　our　agricultural　labourers　in　revolt　against　the　country　life。　Not　only　is　his　intellect　in　abeyance；　but　his　emotions　have　ceased　to　be　a　true　guide。　The　worst　feature　of　the　rustic　mind　in　our　day；　is　not　its　ignorance　or　grossness；　but　its　rebellious　discontent。　Like　all　other　evils；　this　is　seen　to　be　an　inevitable　oute　of　the　condition　o