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116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1889
I was in the first stage of consumption, and was suffering from something else, possibly even more serious than consumption. I don鈥檛 know whether it was the effect of my illness or of an incipient change in my philosophy of life of which I was not conscious at the time, but I was, day by day, more possessed by a passionate, irritating longing for ordinary everyday life. I yearned for mental tranquillity, health, fresh air, good food. I was becoming a dreamer, and, like a dreamer, I did not know exactly what I wanted. Sometimes I felt inclined to go into a monastery, to sit there for days together by the window and gaze at the trees and the fields; sometimes I fancied I would buy fifteen acres of land and settle down as a country gentleman; sometimes I inwardly vowed to take up science and become a professor at some provincial university. I was a retired navy lieutenant; I dreamed of the sea, of our squadron, and of the corvette in which I had made the cruise round the world. I longed to experience again the indescribable feeling when, walking in the tropical forest or looking at the sunset in the Bay of Bengal, one is thrilled with ecstasy and at the same time homesick. I dreamed of mountains, women, music, and, with the curiosity of a child, I looked into people鈥檚 faces, listened to their voices.
Everything abstract, everything belonging to the domain of thought and feeling, was to him boring and incomprehensible, like music to one who has no ear. He looked at people simply from the business point of view, and divided them into competent and incompetent. No other classification existed for him. Honesty and rectitude were only signs of competence. Drinking, gambling, and debauchery were permissible, but must not be allowed to interfere with business. Believing in God was rather stupid, but religion ought be safeguarded, as the common people must have some principle to restrain them, otherwise they would not work. Punishment is only necessary as deterrent. There was no need to go away for holidays, as it was just as nice in town.
To follow freely the promptings of the heart does not always give good people happiness. To feel free and at the same time to be happy, it seems to me, one must not conceal from oneself that life is coarse, cruel, and merciless in its conservatism, and one must retaliate with what it deserves 鈥� that is, be as coarse and as merciless in one鈥檚 striving for freedom.
"丿乇 丕蹖賳 賳卮爻鬲賳賲 亘乇 蹖讴 鬲禺鬲 睾乇蹖亘賴 賵 丿乇 鬲賱丕卮賲 亘乇丕蹖 卮賳丕禺鬲 禺賵蹖卮鬲賳貙 丿乇 賴賲賴 丕賮讴丕乇貙 丕丨爻丕爻丕鬲 賵 匕賴賳蹖鬲鈥屬囏й屰� 讴賴 丿乇亘丕乇賴 賴賲賴 趩蹖夭 丿丕乇賲貙 賴蹖趩 賵噩賴 丕卮鬲乇丕讴蹖 賵噩賵丿 賳丿丕乇丿 讴賴 亘鬲賵丕賳丿 賴賲賴 丕蹖賳賴丕 乇丕 丿乇 蹖讴 讴賱 賵丕丨丿 诏乇丿 丌賵乇丿. 噩丕蹖 蹖讴 趩蹖夭 丕氐賱蹖貙 蹖讴 趩蹖夭 亘爻蹖丕乇 賲賴賲 丿乇 賴賲賴 禺賵丕爻鬲賴鈥屬囏й屬呚� 賵 丿乇 賲蹖賱賲 亘賴 夭賳丿诏蹖 禺丕賱蹖 丕爻鬲... 賲賳 賲睾賱賵亘 卮丿賴鈥屫з�"