the soul of the far east-第11部分

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　result　nature　implants　a　desire　for　resemblance；　which　desire　man　instinctively　acts　upon。

Complete　compatibility　of　temperament　is　of　course　a　thing　not　to　be　expected　nor　indeed　to　be　desired；　since　it　would　defeat　its　own　end　by　allowing　no　room　for　variation。　　A　fairly　broad　basis　of　agreement；　however；　exists　even　when　least　suspected。　　This　common　ground　of　content　consists　of　those　qualities　held　to　be　most　essential　by　the　individuals　concerned；　although　not　necessarily　so　appearing　to　other　people。　　Sometimes；　indeed；　these　qualities　are　still　in　the　larvae　state　of　desires。　　They　are　none　the　less　potent　upon　the　man's　personality　on　that　account；　for　the　wish　is　always　father　to　its　own　fulfilment。

The　want　of　conjugal　resemblance　not　only　works　mediately　on　the　child；　it　works　mutually　on　the　parents；　for　companionship；　as　is　well　recognized；　tends　to　similarity。　　Now　companionship　is　the　last　thing　to　be　looked　for　in　a　far…eastern　couple。　　Where　custom　requires　a　wife　to　follow　dutifully　in　the　wake　of　her　husband；　whenever　the　two　go　out　together；　there　is　small　opportunity　for　intercourse　by　the　way；　even　were　there　the　slightest　inclination　to　it；　which　there　is　not。　　The　appearance　of　the　pair　on　an　excursion　is　a　walking　satire　on　sociability；　for　the　comicality　of　the　connection　is　quite　unperceived　by　the　performers。　　In　the　privacy　of　the　domestic　circle　the　separation；　if　less　humorous；　is　no　less　complete。　　Each　lives　in　a　world　of　his　own；　largely　separate　in　fact　in　China　and　Korea；　and　none　the　less　in　fancy　in　Japan。　On　the　continent　a　friend　of　the　husband　would　see　little　or　nothing　of　the　wife；　and　even　in　Japan　he　would　meet　her　much　as　we　meet　an　upper　servant　in　a　friend's　house。　　Such　a　semi…attached　relationship　does　not　conduce　to　much　mutual　understanding。

The　remainder　of　our　hero's　uneventful　existence　calls　for　no　particular　comment。　　As　soon　as　he　has　children　borne　him　he　is　raised　ipso　facto　from　the　position　of　a　common　soldier　to　that　of　a　subordinate　officer　in　the　family　ranks。　　But　his　opportunities　for　the　expression　of　individuality　are　not　one　whit　increased。　He　has　simply　advanced　a　peg　in　a　regular　hierarchy　of　subjection。　　From　being　looked　after　himself　he　proceeds　to　look　after　others。　　Such　is　the　extent　of　the　change。　　Even　should　he　chance　to　be　the　eldest　son　of　the　eldest　son；　and　thus　eventually　end　by　becoming　the　head　of　the　family；　he　cannot　consistently　consider　himself。　　There　is　absolutely　no　place　in　his　social　cosmos　for　so　particular　a　thing　as　the　ego。

With　a　certain　grim　humor　suggestive　of　metaphysics；　it　may　be　said　of　his　whole　life　that　it　is　nothing　but　a　relative　affair　after　all。


Chapter　3。　　Adoption。

But　one　may　go　a　step　farther　in　this　matter　of　the　family；　and　by　so　doing　fare　still　worse　with　respect　to　individuality。　　There　are　certain　customs　in　vogue　among　these　peoples　which　would　seem　to　indicate　that　even　so　generic　a　thing　as　the　family　is　too　personal　to　serve　them　for　ultimate　social　atom；　and　that　in　fact　it　is　only　the　idea　of　the　family　that　is　really　important；　a　case　of　abstraction　of　an　abstract。　　These　suggestive　customs　are　the　far…eastern　practices　of　adoption　and　abdication。

Adoption；　with　us；　is　a　kind　of　domestic　luxury；　akin　to　the　keeping　of　any　other　pets；　such　as　lap…dogs　and　canaries。　　It　is　a　species　of　self…indulgence　which　those　who　can　afford　it　give　themselves　when　fortune　has　proved　unpropitious；　an　artificial　method　of　counteracting　the　inequalities　of　fate。　　That　such　is　the　plain　unglamoured　view　of　the　procedure　is　shown　by　the　age　at　which　the　object　is　adopted。　　Usually　the　future　son　or　daughter　enters　the　adoptive　household　as　an　infant；　intentionally　so　on　the　part　of　the　would…be　parents。　　His　ignorance　of　a　previous　relationship　largely　increases　his　relative　value；　for　the　possibility　of　his　making　comparisons　in　his　own　mind　between　a　former　state　of　existence　and　the　present　one　unfavorable　to　the　latter　is　not　pleasant　for　the　adopters　to　contemplate。　　He　is　therefore　acquired　young。　　The　amusement　derived　from　his　company　is　thus　seen　to　be　distinctly　paramount　to　all　other　considerations。　　No　one　cares　so　heartily　to　own　a　dog　which　has　been　the　property　of　another；　a　fortiori　of　a　child。　　It　is　clearly；　then；　not　as　a　necessity　that　the　babe　is　adopted。　　If　such　were　the　case；　if　like　the　ancient　Romans　all　a　man　wanted　was　the　continuance　of　the　family　line；　he　would　naturally　wait　until　the　last　practicable　moment；　for　he　would　thus　save　both　care　and　expense。　　In　the　Far　East　adoption　is　quite　a　different　affair。　　There　it　is　a　genealogical　necessitylike　having　a　father　or　mother。　　It　is；　indeed；　of　almost　more　importance。　For　the　great　desideratum　to　these　peoples　is　not　ancestors　but　descendants。　Pedigrees　in　the　land　of　the　universal　opposite　are　not　matters　of　bequest　but　of　posthumous　reversion。　　A　man　is　not　beholden　to　the　past；　he　looks　forward　to　the　future　for　inherited　honors。　　No　fame　attaches　to　him　for　having　had　an　illustrious　grandfather。　　On　the　contrary；　it　is　the　illustrious　grandson　who　reflects　some　of　his　own　greatness　back　upon　his　grandfather。　　If　a　man　therefore　fail　to　attain　eminence　himself；　he　always　has　another　chance　in　his　descendants；　for　he　will　of　necessity　be　ennobled　through　the　merits　of　those　who　succeed　him。　　Such　is　the　immemorial　law　of　the　land。　Fame　is　retroactive。　　This　admirable　system　has　only　one　objection：　it　is　posthumous　in　its　effect。　　An　ambitious　man　who　unfortunately　lacks　ability　himself　has　to　wait　too　long　for　vicarious　recognition。　　The　objection　is　like　that　incident　to　the　making　of　a　country　seat　out　of　a　treeless　plain　by　planting　the　same　with　saplings。　　About　the　time　the　trees　begin　to　be　worth　having　the　proprietary　landscape…gardener　dies　of　old　age。　　However；　as　custom　permits　a　Far　Oriental　no　ancestral　growth　of　timber；　he　is　obliged　to　lay　the　seeds　of　his　own　family　trees。　　Natural　offspring　are　on　the　whole　easier　to　get；　and　more　satisfactory　when　got。　　Hence　the　haste　with　which　these　peoples　rush　into　matrimony。　　If　in　despite　of　his　precipitation　fate　perversely　refuse　to　grant　him　children；　he　must　endeavor　to　make　good　the　omission　by　artificial　means。　　He　proceeds　to　adopt　somebody。　　True　to　instinct；　he　chooses　from　preference　a　collateral　relative。　　In　some　far…eastern　lands　he　must　so　restrict　himself　by　law。　　In　Korea；　for　instance；　he　can　only　adopt　an　agnate　and　one　of　a　lower　generation　than　his　own。　But　in　Japan　his　choice　is　not　so　limited。　　In　so　praiseworthy　an　act　as　the　perpetuation　of　his　unimportant　family　line；　it　is　deemed　unwise　in　that　progressive　land　to　hinder　him　from　unconsciously　bettering　it　by　the　way。　　He　is　consequently　permitted　to　adopt　anybody。　　As　people　are　by　no　means　averse　to　being　adopted；　the　power　to　adopt　whom　he　will　gives　him　more　voice　in　the　matter　of　his　unnatural　offspring　than　he　ever　had　in　the　selection　of　a　more　natural　one。　　

The　adopted　changes　his　name；　of　course；　to　take　that　of　the　family　he　enters。　　As　he　is　very　frequently　grown　up　and　extensively　known　at　the　time　the　adoption　takes　place；　his　change　of　cognomen　occasions　at　first