第2章

"Shehaslivedtotellitagreatmanytimes.Shecanhardlybekeptfromtellingityet.Butitismybeliefthat，althoughshebroughttotheworkalltheanguishofaquickenedconscience，undertheinfluenceoftheAmericanconditionsshehadreturnedto，shesufferedfarlessinherencounterswitheitherofthosefurnishedhousesthanshenowdoeswithourownfurniturewhensheshutsupourhouseinthesummer，andopensitforthewinter.Butiftherehadbeenaclauseinthelease，asthereshouldhavebeen，forbiddinghertoputthosehousesinorderwhensheleftthem，lifewouldhavebeensimplyarapture.Why，inEuropecustomalmostsuppliestheplaceofstatuteinsuchcases，andyoucomeandgosolightlyinandoutoffurnishedhousesthatyoudonotmindtakingthemforamonth，orafewweeks.Weareveryfarbehindinthismatter，butIhavenodoubtthatifweoncecametodoitonanyextendedscaleweshoulddoit，aswedoeverythingelseweattempt，moreperfectlythananyotherpeopleintheworld.YouseewhatImean？"

"IamnotsurethatIdo.Butgoon."

"IwouldinvertthewholeHenryGeorgeprinciple，andIwouldtaxpersonalpropertyofthehouseholdkindsoheavilythatitwouldnecessarilypassoutofprivatehands;Iwouldmakeitstenuresocostlythatitwouldbeimpossibletoanybuttheveryrich，whoarealsotheverywicked，andoughttosuffer."

"Oh，come，now！"

"IreferyoutoyourTestament.Intheend，allhouseholdpropertywouldpassintothehandsofthestate."

"Aren"tyougettingworseandworse？"

"Oh，I"mnotsupposingtherewon"tbealongintervalwhenhouseholdpropertywillbeinthehandsofpowerfulmonopolies，andmanymillionaireswillbemadebylettingitouttomiddle—classtenantslikeyouandme，alongwiththehouseswehireofthem.IhavenodoubtthattherewillbeaStandardHousehold—EffectCompany，whichwillextenditsrelationstoEurope，andgetthehouseholdeffectsofthewholeworldintoitsgrasp.Itwillbeafearfuloppression，andweshallprobablygroanunderitforgenerations，butitwillliberateusfromourpersonalownershipofthem，andfromthefarmorecrushingweightofthemoth—

ball.Weshallsuffer，but——"

"Iseewhatyoumean，"Ihastenedtointerruptatthispoint，"butthesesuggestiveremarksofyoursaregettingbeyond——Doyouthinkyoucoulddefertherestofyourincompletedsentenceforaweek？"

"Well，fornotmorethanaweek，"saidmyfriend，withanairofdiscomfortinhisarrest.

II.

——"Weshallnotsuffersomuchaswedounderourpresentsystem，"saidmyfriend，completinghissentenceaftertheinterruptionofaweek.Bythistimewehadbothlefttown，andweretakingupthetalkagainontheverandaofasea—sidehotel."Asfortheeternal—womanly，itwillbehersalvationfromherself.Whenoncesheisexpropriatedfromherhouseholdeffects，andforbiddenunderseverepenaltiesfrommeddlingwiththoseoftheStandardHousehold—EffectCompany，shewillbegintogetbackherpeaceofmind，andbethesameblessingshewasbeforeshebeganhousekeeping."

"Thatmayallverywellbe，"Iassented，thoughIdidnotbelieveit，andIfoundsomethingalmosttoofantasticalinmyfriend"sscheme."Butwhenweareexpropriatedfromallourdearestbelongings，whatistobecomeofourtenderandsacredassociationswiththem？"

"Whathasbecomeofdevotiontothefamilygods，andtheworshipofancestors？Oncethegravesofthedeadwereatthedooroftheliving，sothatlibationsmightbeconvenientlypouredoutonthem，andthegroundwheretheylaywasinalienablebecauseitwassupposedtobeusedbytheirspiritsaswellastheirbodies.Amancouldnotsellthebones，becausehecouldnotselltheghosts，ofhiskindred.By—andby，whenreligionceasedtobedomesticandbecamesocial，andtheserviceofthegodswascarriedonintemplescommontoall，itwasfoundthatthetombsofone"sforefatherscouldbesoldwithoutviolencetotheirspectres.Idaresayitwouldn"tbedifferentinthecaseofourtenderandsacredassociationswithtablesandchairs，potsandpans，bedsandbedding，picturesandbric—a—brac.Wehaveonlytoevolvealittlefurther.Infactwehavealreadyevolvedfarbeyondthepointthattroublesyou.Mostpeopleinmoderntownsandcitieshavechangedtheirdomicilesfromtentotwentytimesduringtheirlives，andhavenotpaidtheslightestattentiontothetenderandsacredassociationsconnectedwiththem.Idon"tsupposeyouwouldsaythatamanhasnosuchassociationswiththehousethathasshelteredhim，whilehehasthemwiththestuffthathasfurnishedit？"

"No，Ishouldn"tsaythat."

"Ifanything，thehouseshouldbedearerthanthehouseholdgear.Yetateachremovewedragalengtheningchainoftables，chairs，side—boards，portraits，landscapes，bedsteads，washstands，stoves，kitchenutensils，andbric—a—bracafterus，because，asmywifesays，wecannotbeartopartwiththem.Atseveraltimesinourownliveswehaveaccumulatedstuffenoughtofurnishtwoorthreehouseandhavepaidaprettystiffhouse—rentintheformofstoragefortheoverflow.Why，Iamdoingthatverythingnow！Aren"tyou？"

"Iam——inacertaindegree，"Iassented.

"Weallare，wewell—to—dopeople，aswethinkourselves.OncemywifeandIrevoltedbyacommonimpulseagainsttheridiculouswasteandslaveryofthething.Wewenttothestoragewarehouseandsentthreeorfourvanloadsoftherubbishtotheauctioneer.Someofthepieceswehadnotseenforyears，andaseachwashauledoutforustoinspectanddecideupon，wecondemnedittotheauction—blockwithshoutsofrejoicing.Tenderandsacredassociations！Wehadn"thadsuchlightheartssincewehadputeverythinginstorageandgonetoEuropeindefinitelyaswehadwhenweleftthosethingstobecartedoutofourlivesforever.Notonehadbeenapleasuretous;thesightofeveryonehadbeenapang.Allwewantedwasnevertoseteyesonthemagain."

"Imustsayyouhavedisposedofthetenderandsacredassociationsprettyeffectually，sofarastheyrelatetothingsinstorage.Butthethingsthatwehaveindailyuse？"

"Itisexactlythesamewiththem.Whyshouldtheybemoretousthanthefloorsandwallsofthehouseswemoveinandmoveoutofwithnoparticularpathos？AndIthinkweoughtnottocareforthem，certainlynottothepointoflettingthemdestroyoureternal—womanlywiththeanxietyshefeelsforthem.Sheisreallymuchmoreprecious，ifshecouldbutrealizeit，thananythingsheswathesincheese—clothorwrapsupwithmoth—balls.Theproofofthefactthatthewholethingisapieceofmeresentimentalityisthatwemayliveinafurnishedhouseforyears，amidalltheaccidentsofbirthanddeath，joyandsorrow，andyetnotformtheslightestattachmenttothefurniture.Whyshouldwehavetenderandsacredassociationswithathingwehavebought，andnotwithathingwehavehired？"

"Iconfess，Idon"tknow.Anddoyoureallythinkwecouldliberateourselvesfromourbelongingsiftheydidn"tbelongtous？Wouldn"ttheeternal—womanlystillkeepputtingthemawayforsummerandtakingthemoutforwinter？"