第20部分(第6/7 頁)

preoccupation　was　how　to　obtain　money　to　keep　myself　alive。　Many　a　day　I　had　suffered　hunger　because　I　durst　not　spend　the　few　coins　I　possessed；　the　food　I　could　buy　was　in　any　case　unsatisfactory；　unvaried。　But　here　Nature　had　given　me　a　feast；　which　seemed　delicious；　and　I　had　eaten　all　I　wanted。　The　wonder　held　me　for　a　long　time；　and　to　this　day　I　can　recall　it；　understand　it。

I　think　there　could　be　no　better　illustration　of　what　it　means　to　be　very　poor　in　a　great　town。　And　I　am　glad　to　have　been　through　it。　To　those　days　of　misery　I　owe　much　of　the　contentment　which　I　now　enjoy；　not　by　mere　force　of　contrast；　but　because　I　have　been　better　taught　than　most　men　the　facts　which　condition　our　day　to　day　existence。　To　the　ordinary　educated　person；　freedom　from　anxiety　as　to　how　he　shall　merely　be　fed　and　clothed　is　a　matter　of　course；　questioned；　he　would　admit　it　to　be　an　agreeable　state　of　things；　but　it　is　no　more　a　source　of　conscious　joy　to　him　than　physical　health　to　the　thoroughly　sound　man。　For　me；　were　I　to　live　another　fifty　years；　this　security　would　be　a　delightful　surprise　renewed　with　every　renewal　of　day。　I　know；　as　only　one　with　my　experience　can；　all　that　is　involved　in　the　possession　of　means　to　live。　The　average　educated　man　has　never　stood　alone；　utterly　alone；　just　clad　and　nothing　more　than　that；　with　the　problem　before　him　of　wresting　his　next　meal　from　a　world　that　cares　not　whether　he　live　or　die。　There　is　no　such　school　of　political　economy。　Go　through　that　course　of　lectures；　and　you　will　never　again　bee　confused　as　to　the　meaning　of　elementary　terms　in　that　sorry　science。

I　understand；　far　better　than　most　men；　what　I　owe　to　the　labour　of　others。　This　money　which　I　〃draw〃　at　the　four　quarters　of　the　year；　in　a　sense　falls　to