Translation:Max Havelaar/28



"Stop writing those silly things to your papa, Stern," I said, and perhaps I was a bit angry, for I dislike untruthfulness, that's a fixed principle of mine. That evening I wrote to the old Stern that he must hurry with his orders, and take care of false messages, for the coffee does very well at present.

The reader feels what I had to go through while hearing the last chapters. I found a solitaire game in the children's room, and I'll take that to the circle in the future. Wasn't I right when I said that Shawlman drove everyone crazy with his packet? Would one in Stern's writing – and Frits helps him, I'm sure – recognise young people which were raised in a distinguished home? What funny remarks are that, about a disease which is revealed if one longs for a place in the country? Is it about me? Can't I go to Driebergen when Frits has become a broker? And who speaks of stomach diseases in the company of women and girls? It is a fixed principle of mine to remain calm in all circumstances – it comes useful in business – but I must admit that it was often hard when I heard all that nonsense from Stern. What does he want? What must be the end? When can I except something good? I am not interested at all whether Havelaar keeps his garden clean, or whether the people come in through the front or back door. At Busselinck and Waterman's one goes through a narrow passage, near an oil warehouse, which is always dirty. And then that talk about water buffaloes. Why do they want oxen, those blacks? I never had one, and I am satisfied. Some people must always complain. And the scolding on forced labour, it is obvious that he did not hear preacher Shatterbuck's sermon. Of he had, he would know that word is good for the existence of God's empire. It's true, he is Lutheran.

Oh sure, if I could have guessed how he would write the book, that must be so important for all coffee brokers – and others – I would have done it myself. But the Rosemeijers – who are sugar merchants – support him, and that makes him bold. I said frankly – for I am honest in such things – that we won't need the history of that Saïdjah, but then Louise Rosemeijer stood up against me. It appears that Stern told her that there would be something about love in that story, and girls enjoy that. That was not sufficient to frighten me, but the Rosemeijers told me that they were eager to meet Stern's father. If course they want to reach us uncle, via the father, since the uncle is a sugar trader. If I take party for common sense and against young Stern, it may appear that I want to pull myself away from him, and this is certainly not the case, for they are sugar merchants.

I really do not understand what Stern want with that writing. There are always unsatisfied people. Does it honour him, who enjoys a lot of luxury in Holland – last week my wife made camomile tea for him – to scold our government? Does he want to rouse general dissatisfaction? Does he intend to become a Governor-General? He is conceited enough for it – I mean to want it. I asked him that the day before yesterday and I added honestly that his Dutch was far from perfect. "Oh, that doesn't matter, " he replied, "It appears that they seldom send a Governor-General who knows the language of the country." What am I to do with such a prig? He ha snot the slightest respect for my experience. When I told him last week that I have been a broker for 17 years, visiting the exchange market for 20 years, he quoted Busselinck & Waterman, who have been brokers for 18 years, and he said: "They have one more year of experience." That's how he caught me, for I must admit, because I like the truth, that Busselinck & Waterman know little about business and that they are interlopers.

Marie is confused too. Imagine, last week – it was her turn to read at breakfast, and we would read Lot's history – she suddenly fell silent and refused to read on. My wife who also is very religious, meekly attempted to make her obey, because it isn't fit for a decent girl to be so stubborn. All in vain! Being a father I had to rebuke her earnestly, because her stubbornness spoiled the edification of the breakfast, which has a bad influence on the entire day. But it could not be helped and she even said that she'd rather be slain than read further. So I confined her three days to her room on bread and coffee, and I hope it will do her good. To make sure the punishment will lead to de moral improvement, I ordered her to write that chapter, that she would not read, ten times, and I decided to be so earnest because I found that she god ideas which appear to jeopardise decency. Whether it is from Stern I do not know. I heard her sing a French song – by Béranger, I think – in which an old beggar woman is lamented, who sang in her youth in a theatre, and yesterday she appeared at breakfast – I mean Marie – without a corslet, which isn't decent.

I must also admit that Frits took few good things home when he came from the prayer meeting. I was rather satisfied that he sat still in church. He did not move, and his eyes never left the pulpit, but later I heard that Bethsy Rosemeijer had been near the baptismal fence. I said nothing about it – one should not be too strict with young people, and the Rosemeijers are a decent family. They gave their oldest daughter, who married the chemist Bruggeman, something nice and therefore I believe that this will keep Frits from Westermarkt, which pleases me, since I am a stickler for decency.

But this does not prevent that it annoys me to see that Frits hardens his heart, just like Pharao, who was less guilty than he, since he had no father who carefully showed him the right way. The Scripture says nothing about the old Pharao. Preacher Shatterbuck complains about his arrogance – of Frits, I mean - during the confirmation classes, and it appears that the boy got from Shawlman's packet a cheekiness which drives the agreeable Shatterbuck crazy. In stead of accepting what the Scripture says – and that should be done, the Scripture itself says that one should be religious – he asks lots of questions:
 * Whence came light before there was a sun?
 * Had Melchizedek the true faith?
 * What would have happened if Eve had not eaten that apple?
 * Is my little brother doomed because he died before he was baptised?
 * Where was the police when Peter slew Ananias and Sapphirah?
 * Did Jesus wear stockings and a turban?
 * How high did he ascend before he reached the edge of the atmosphere, and how did he go further?
 * Why was he impolite to his mother when she looked for him?
 * Has there been a trial over the value of those swine that drowned in the water?
 * What were those swine for in a country were pork is forbidden?
 * What did they with the estates of the people who stood up from the graves?
 * Why had Ezekiel to eat filthiness?
 * What is the business of a supreme being when there are perfect laws of nature?
 * Why is man not saved until 4000 years after the creation?
 * Why does God allow that many people reject the salvation?
 * Why has the devil power if he has been beaten by Christ?
 * Wasn't Constantine the Great a nasty murderer?
 * Why were many ages after Christ not as civilised as in the time of Augustus?
 * Why do we lock our doors in a country that's Christian so that there are no thieves?
 * Why was David a man according to God's heart?
 * Why was it allowed for the Israelites to take gold and silver that belonged to the Egyptians?
 * Why is Jesus a son of David if Josef, who descended from David, was not his father?
 * How can we know that God is great if we don't understand him?
 * Was Judith a decent woman?
 * How did Noah find a couple of ice bears for the ark?
 * Whence came the people who were not allowed to kill Cain?
 * What happens when two believers pray against one another?

And so on! You understand that Shatterbuck, so full of love for the Truth and the Life, feels sadness when he sees such forbidden investigations. It is moving to see that the worthy man, who often takes coffee in our house, attempts to work on Frits' mind, and how the rascal always has new questions, which show how stubborn his mind is. It's all from that cursed packet of Shawlman! With tears of emotion on his cheek the zealous servant of the gospel attempts to make him look to wisdom, to be introduced in the mysteries of the wisdom of God. With meekness and tenderness he begs not toe reject the bread of eternal life which would make him fall in Satan's claws, who lives with his angels in the fire which exists in eternity. "Oh," he said yesterday – Shatterbuck, I mean – "Oh, young friend, do open your eyes and ears, listen and see what the Lord gives you to see and to hear through my mouth. Heed the testimonies of the saints who have died for the true faith's sake. Behold Stephan, who sinks under the rock which crush him! See how he still looks to the heaven while his tongue sings psalms..."

"I would have thrown back," replied Frits. Reader, what can I do with that boy?

A moment later Shatterbuck began again, for he is a zealous servant, who will continue his labour. "Oh, young friend," he said, "Do open..." (it started as before) "Do you feel nothing when you think of what will become of you, when you are counted to the bad ones on the left side?"

And the rascal broke down in laughter – Frits I mean – and Marie laughed too. I think I even saw a trace of a smile on my wife's face. This time I helped Shatterbuck and I punished Frits with a fine from his money box to the missionary society.

Oh, reader, all this hurts me deeply. With that suffering one would even enjoy to hear the stories about water buffaloes and Javanese. What is a water buffalo in comparison to Frits' salvation? Why should I be interested in the business of those people far away, when I must fear that Frits will spoil his own business because of his unbelief, so that he will never be a good broker? Shatterbuck himself has said, that God arranges everything, so that righteousness leads to wealth. "Just see," he said, "aren't we all rich in the Netherlands? It's because of our faith. Isn't in France always murder and slaughter? It's because they are Catholics. Aren't the Javanese poor? They are heathen. The more the Dutch go about with the Javanese, the more wealth we will acquire, and the more poverty there. That's how God wants!"

I am amazed because Shatterbuck has such a clear view of the truth. For it is a fact that I – who am very strict in my religion – see my business advance every year, while Busselinck & Waterman, who do not care for God, will always be interlopers. And the Rosemeijers, who are sugar merchants and have a Catholic servant, recently received 27 percent from the mass of a Jew. The more I think about it, the further I understand Gods unfathomable ways. Recently it was found that thirty million has been earned on the sale of products which were produced by the heathen, and I even do not count how much I earned, and the many others who live of this business. Isn't it as if the Lord said: "Behold, thirty million to reward your faith"? Isn't this clearly the finger of God who lets the wicked one labour to save the righteous? Isn't this an obvious hint to go on on the right way? We must produce a lot over there, while we continue in the true faith. Therefore it is "pray and work", so that we should pray while the work is done by the black stuff that knows no "Our Father".

Oh, how right is Shatterbuck when he says that God's yoke is soft. How light is the burden for everyone who believes. I am only forty and could stop working if I wanted and go to Driebergen. Compare that with those who left the Lord. Yesterday I saw Shawlman with his wife and their boy – they looked like phantoms. He is deathly pale, his eyes goggled, his cheek were hollow. His attitude was bent, although he is younger than I. She also was very poorly clothed, and it appeared that she had wept. Well, is was obvious that she has an unsatisfied nature – I need to see someone only once to judge it. That's experience. She wore a cloak of black silk and yet it was rather cold. There was no trace of crinoline. Her light dress hung around her knees, and the edge was frayed. He even did not wear his shawl, as if it were summer. And yet he has some kind of pride, for he gave something to a poor woman, who was sitting on the lock – Frits says bridge but if it is made of stone, without a bascule, I call it a lock – and if a person has so little, it is a sin to give it away to someone else. Besides, I never give on the street – that's a principle – for I always say, if I see poor people: it may be their own fault, and I should not reward them for wrong behaviour. On Sunday I give twice: for the poor and for the church. That's how it belongs. I do not know whether Shawlman saw me, but I passed quickly and looked up, thinking of the righteousness of God, who would not let him walk without a winter coat if he had been a better man, not lazy, pedantic and sickly.

What concerns my book, I must ask the reader to forgive me for the unpardonable way, how Stern misused the contract. I must admit that I dislike to go and visit the next circle meeting, where I should hear Saïdjah's love history. The reader knows that I have sound ideas abut love – think only of my judgment on that trip to the Ganges. Oh yes, I can imagine that young girls like such a thing, but I cannot explain that men of mature age can listen to that nonsense. I am sure that I will find the solution of the solitaire game on the next meeting.

I shall attempt to hear nothing about Saïdjah, and I hope that he soon gets married, if he is the hero of the love history. It is rather kind that Stern warned me in advance, that it was going to be a monotonous history. As soon as he starts something else, I'll listen again. But his comments on bad government bore me almost as much as love stories. You can tell that Stern is young and that he has little experience. To judge matters well, one must see them from nearby. When I married, I have been to The Hague, with my wife we visited the Mauritshuis. I saw there all levels of the society, for I saw the Minister of Finances, and we bought flannel in Veenestraat – I and my wife, I mean – and nowhere I saw any evidence of people who were dissatisfied with the government. The lady in the shop was satisfied, and when some tried to tell us in 1848 that not everything in The Hague was as it should be, I gave my opinion during the circle meeting about that insatisfaction. They believed me, for they all know that I speak with experience. And when we went back by coach the groom piped "be happy" and he would not have done so if there had been so much wrong. That's how I paid attention to everything, and I knew immediately what I had to think of all that muttering in 1848.

Across the canal live a lady whose cousin has a toko in the East. That's what they call a shop. When everything went so bad as Stern tells us, she might know something about it, and it appears that the woman is very satisfied with her business, for she never complains. Quite the contrary, she says that her cousin lives in a villa, that he is a member of the church council and that he sent her a cigar case with peacock fathers, which he made of bamboe. This all shows that all that complaining about bad government is unfounded. It is also obvious that for someone who behaves well, it is certainly possible to earn something in that country, so that Shawlman has there also been lazy, pedantic and sickly, or he would not have returned without Money and not walk around without a winter coat. And the cousin of the lady across is not the only one who became rich in the East. In "Polen" I see many who have been there, and they are certainly well clothed. It is obvious that one must take care of his business, over there just as well as here. On Java the fried doves will not fly into your mouth, you must work there as well. Whoever does not want to work, will be poor and will always be poor. That's a matter of course.