blindfolded。 Nevertheless he felt sure that if the towers had been
there he should have seen them； and rightly guessed that they must
belong to the temple which was to be dedicated to himself on
Sunday。
When he had passed through the suburbs he found himself in the main
street。 Space will not allow me to dwell on more than a few of the
things which caught his eye； and assured him that the change in
Erewhonian habits and opinions had been even more cataclysmic than
he had already divined。 The first important building that he came
to proclaimed itself as the College of Spiritual Athletics； and in
the window of a shop that was evidently affiliated to the college
he saw an announcement that moral try…your…strengths； suitable for
every kind of ordinary temptation； would be provided on the
shortest notice。 Some of those that aimed at the more common kinds
of temptation were kept in stock； but these consisted chiefly of
trials to the temper。 On dropping； for example； a penny into a
slot； you could have a jet of fine pepper； flour； or brickdust；
whichever you might prefer； thrown on to your face； and thus
discover whether your composure stood in need of further
development or no。 My father gathered this from the writing that
was pasted on to the try…your…strength； but he had no time to go
inside the shop and test either the machine or his own temper。
Other temptations to irritability required the agency of living
people； or at any rate living beings。 Crying children； screaming
parrots； a spiteful monkey； might be hired on ridiculously easy
terms。 He saw one advertisement； nicely framed； which ran as
follows：…
〃Mrs。 Tantrums； Nagger； certificated by the College of Spiritual
Athletics。 Terms for ordinary nagging； two shillings and sixpence
per hour。 Hysterics extra。〃
Then followed a series of testimonialsfor example：…
〃Dear Mrs。 Tantrums；I have for years been tortured with a husband
of unusually peevish； irritable temper； who made my life so
intolerable that I sometimes answered him in a way that led to his
using personal violence towards me。 After taking a course of
twelve sittings from you； I found my husband's temper comparatively
angelic； and we have ever since lived together in complete
harmony。〃
Another was from a husband：…
〃Mr。presents his compliments to Mrs。 Tantrums； and begs to assure
her that her extra special hysterics have so far surpassed anything
his wife can do； as to render him callous to those attacks which he
had formerly found so distressing。〃
There were many others of a like purport； but time did not permit
my father to do more than glance at them。 He contented himself
with the two following； of which the first ran：…
〃He did try it at last。 A little correction of the right kind
taken at the right moment is invaluable。 No more swearing。 No
more bad language of any kind。 A lamb…like temper ensured in about
twenty minutes； by a single dose of one of our spiritual
indigestion tabloids。 In cases of all the more ordinary moral
ailments； from simple lying； to homicidal mania； in cases again of
tendency to hatred； malice； and uncharitableness； of atrophy or
hypertrophy of the conscience； of costiveness or diarrhoea of the
sympathetic instincts； &c。； &c。； our spiritual indigestion tabloids
will afford unfailing and immediate relief。
〃N。B。A bottle or two of our Sunchild Cordial will assist the
operation of the tabloids。〃
The second and last that I can give was as follows：…
〃All else is useless。 If you wish to be a social success； make
yourself a good listener。 There is no short cut to this。 A would…
be listener must learn the rudiments of his art and go through the
mill like other people。 If he would develop a power of suffering
fools gladly； he must begin by suffering them without the gladness。
Professor Proser； ex…straightener； certificated bore； pragmatic or
coruscating； with or without anecdotes； attends pupils at their own
houses。 Terms moderate。
〃Mrs。 Proser； whose success as a professional mind…dresser is so
well…known that lengthened advertisement is unnecessary； prepares
ladies or gentlemen with appropriate remarks to be made at dinner…
parties or at…homes。 Mrs。 P。 keeps herself well up to date with
all the latest scandals。〃
〃Poor； poor； straighteners！〃 said my father to himself。 〃Alas！
that it should have been my fate to ruin youfor I suppose your
occupation is gone。〃
Tearing himself away from the College of Spiritual Athletics and
its affiliated shop； he passed on a few doors； only to find himself
looking in at what was neither more nor less than a chemist's shop。
In the window there were advertisements which showed that the
practice of medicine was now legal； but my father could not stay to
copy a single one of the fantastic announcements that a hurried
glance revealed to him。
It was also plain here； as from the shop already more fully
described； that the edicts against machines had been repealed； for
there were physical try…your…strengths； as in the other shop there
had been moral ones； and such machines under the old law would not
have been tolerated for a moment。
My father made his purchases just as the last shops were closing。
He noticed that almost all of them were full of articles labelled
〃Dedication。〃 There was Dedication gingerbread； stamped with a
moulded representation of the new temple； there were Dedication
syrups； Dedication pocket…handkerchiefs； also shewing the temple；
and in one corner giving a highly idealised portrait of my father
himself。 The chariot and the horses figured largely； and in the
confectioners' shops there were models of the newly discovered
relicmade； so my father thought； with a little heap of cherries
or strawberries； smothered in chocolate。 Outside one tailor's shop
he saw a flaring advertisement which can only be translated； 〃Try
our Dedication trousers； price ten shillings and sixpence。〃
Presently he passed the new temple； but it was too dark for him to
do more than see that it was a vast fane； and must have cost an
untold amount of money。 At every turn he found himself more and
more shocked； as he realised more and more fully the mischief he
had already occasioned； and the certainty that this was small as
compared with that which would grow up hereafter。
〃What；〃 he said to me； very coherently and quietly； 〃was I to do？
I had struck a bargain with that dear fellow； though he knew not
what I meant； to the effect that I should try to undo the harm I
had done； by standing up before the people on Sunday and saying who
I was。 True； they would not believe me。 They would look at my
hair and see it black； whereas it should be very light。 On this
they would look no further； but very likely tear me in pieces then
and there。 Suppose that the authorities held a post…mortem
examination； and that many who knew me （let alone that all my
measurements and marks were recorded twenty years ago） identified
the body as mine： would those in power admit that I was the
Sunchild？ Not they。 The interests vested in my being now in the
palace of the sun are too great to allow of my having been torn to
pieces in Sunch'ston； no matter how truly I had been torn； the
whole thing would be hushed up； and the utmost that could come of
it would be a heresy which would in time be crushed。
〃On the other hand； what business have I with 'would be' or 'would
not be？' Should I not speak out； come what may； when I see a whole
people being led astray by those who are merely exploiting them for
their own ends？ Though I could do but little； ought I not to do
that little？ What did that good fellow's instinctso straight
from heaven； so true； so healthytell him？ What did my own
instinct answer？ What would the conscience of any honourable man
answer？ Who can doubt？
〃And yet； is there not reason？ and is it not God…given as much as
instinct？ I remember having heard an anthem in my young days； 'O
where shall wisdom be found？ the deep saith it is not in me。' As
the singers kept on repeating the question； I kept on saying
sorrowfully to myself'Ah； where； where； where？' and when the
triumphant answer came； 'The fear of the Lord； that is wisdom； and
to depart from evil is understanding；' I shrunk ashamed into myself
for not having foreseen it。 In later life； when I have tried to
use this answer as a light by which I could walk； I found it served
but to the raising of another question； 'What is the fear of the
Lord； and what is evil in this particular case？' And my easy
method with spiritual dilemmas proved to be but a case of ignotum
per ignotius。
〃If Satan himself is at times transformed into an angel of light；
are not angels of light sometimes transformed into the likeness of
Satan？ If the devil is not so black as he is painted； is God
always so white？ And is there not another place in which it is
said； 'The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom；' as though
it were not the last word upon the subject？ If a man should not do
evil that good may come； so neither should he do good that evil may
come； and though it were good for me to speak out； should I not do
better by refraining？