The Blithedale Romance - Page 92/170

"And have you no regrets," I inquired, "in overthrowing this fair

system of our new life, which has been planned so deeply, and is now

beginning to flourish so hopefully around us? How beautiful it is,

and, so far as we can yet see, how practicable! The ages have waited

for us, and here we are, the very first that have essayed to carry on

our mortal existence in love and mutual help! Hollingsworth, I would

be loath to take the ruin of this enterprise upon my conscience."

"Then let it rest wholly upon mine!" he answered, knitting his black

brows. "I see through the system. It is full of

defects,--irremediable and damning ones!--from first to last, there is

nothing else! I grasp it in my hand, and find no substance whatever.

There is not human nature in it."

"Why are you so secret in your operations?" I asked. "God forbid that

I should accuse you of intentional wrong; but the besetting sin of a

philanthropist, it appears to me, is apt to be a moral obliquity. His

sense of honor ceases to be the sense of other honorable men. At some

point of his course--I know not exactly when or where--he is tempted to

palter with the right, and can scarcely forbear persuading himself that

the importance of his public ends renders it allowable to throw aside

his private conscience. Oh, my dear friend, beware this error! If you

meditate the overthrow of this establishment, call together our

companions, state your design, support it with all your eloquence, but

allow them an opportunity of defending themselves."

"It does not suit me," said Hollingsworth. "Nor is it my duty to do

so."

"I think it is," replied I.

Hollingsworth frowned; not in passion, but, like fate, inexorably.

"I will not argue the point," said he. "What I desire to know of you

is,--and you can tell me in one word,--whether I am to look for your

cooperation in this great scheme of good? Take it up with me! Be my

brother in it! It offers you (what you have told me, over and over

again, that you most need) a purpose in life, worthy of the extremest

self-devotion,--worthy of martyrdom, should God so order it! In this

view, I present it to you. You can greatly benefit mankind. Your

peculiar faculties, as I shall direct them, are capable of being so

wrought into this enterprise that not one of them need lie idle. Strike

hands with me, and from this moment you shall never again feel the

languor and vague wretchedness of an indolent or half-occupied man.

There may be no more aimless beauty in your life; but, in its stead,

there shall be strength, courage, immitigable will,--everything that a

manly and generous nature should desire! We shall succeed! We shall

have done our best for this miserable world; and happiness (which never

comes but incidentally) will come to us unawares."