Page:Tolstoy - Essays and Letters.djvu/356

340 work. Believe me, that without that condition there is no possibility of a moral education, a Christian education, or a consciousness of the fact that all men are brothers and equals. A child may yet understand that a grown-up man, his father—a banker or turner, an artist or an overseer, who by his work feeds the whole family—may free himself from occupations which prevent his giving all his time to his profitable work. But how can a child—as yet untried and unable to do anything—explain to himself that others do for him what he naturally should do for himself?

The only explanation for him is that people are divided into two classes—masters and slaves; and however much we may talk to him in words about equality and the brotherhood of man, all the conditions of his life, from his getting up, to his evening meal, show him the contrary.

Not only does he cease to believe what his elders tell him about morality, he sees in the depth of his soul that all these teachings are mendacious, and he ceases to believe his parents and teachers, and ceases even to believe in the need for any kind of morality whatever.

Yet one more consideration. If it is not possible to do all that I have mentioned, at least one must set children to do things the disadvantage of not doing which would be at once felt by them—e.g., if one's clothes and boots for going out in are not cleaned, one must not go out; if water has not been fetched and the crockery washed up, there is nothing to drink. Above all, in this matter do not be afraid of ridicule. Nine-tenths of all the bad things in the world are done because not to do them would be held ridiculous.

[1902.]

{{smaller|This letter was written to a near relation, belonging to the upper class of Russian society, in which the children are generally sent to the high schools (gymnasia), where they are crammed with much knowledge, chiefly in order to pass examinations and to obtain certain piivileges {e.g. diminution of military service). The 'X.' mentioned is the husband of the lady addressed.}}