CHAPTER XL
The vocation of every man and woman is to serve other people. With this general proposition, I think all who are not immoral people will agree. The difference between men and women in the fulfilment of that vocation, is only in the means by which they attain it; that is to say, by which they serve men.
Man serves others by physical work,--procuring food; by intellectual work,--studying the laws of nature in order to master it; and by social work,--instituting forms of life, and establishing mutual relationships between people.
The means of serving others are various for men. The whole activity of mankind, with the exception of bearing children and rearing them, is open for his service to men. A woman, in addition to the possibility of serving men by all the means open to man is, by the construction of her body, called and inevitably attracted, to serve others by that which alone is excepted from the domain of the service of man.
The service of mankind is divided into two parts,--one, the augmentation of the welfare of mankind; the other, the continuation of the race. Men are called chiefly to the first, as they are deprived of the possibility of fulfilling the second. Women are called exclusively to the second, as they only are fitted for it. This difference one should not, one can not, forget or destroy; and it would be sinful to do so. From this difference proceed the duties of each,--duties not invented by men, but which are in the nature of things. From the same difference proceeds the estimation of virtue and vice for woman and man,--the estimation which has existed in every century, which exists now, and which will never cease to exist while reason exists in men.
It always has been the case, and it always will be, that a man who spends a great part of his life in the various physical and mental labours which are natural to him, and a woman who spends a great part of her life in the labour of bearing, nursing, and rearing children, which is her exclusive prerogative, will alike feel that they are doing their duty, and will alike rise in the esteem and love of other people, because they both fulfil what is appointed because such is the substance of the matter.
The vocation of man is broader and more varied; the vocation of woman more uniform and narrower, but more profound: and therefore it has always been, and always will be, the case, that man, having hundreds of duties, will be neither a bad nor a pernicious man, even when he has been false to one or ten out of them, if he fulfils the greater part of his vocation; while woman, as she has a smaller number of duties, if she is false to one of them, instantly falls lower than a man, who has been false to ten out of his hundreds of duties. Such has always been the general opinion, and such it will always remain,--because such is the substance of the matter.
A man, in order to fulfil God's will, must serve him in the domain of physical work, thought and morality: in all these ways he can fulfil his vocation. Woman's service to God consists chiefly and almost exclusively in bearing children (because no one except herself can render it). Only by means of work, is man called to serve God and his fellow-men: only by means of her children, is a woman called to serve them.
Therefore, that love to her own children which is inborn in woman, that exclusive love against which it is quite vain to strive by reasoning, will always be, and ought to be, natural to a woman and a mother. That love to a child in its infancy is not egotism, it is the love of a workman for the work which he is doing while it is in his hands. Take away that love for the object of one's work, and the work becomes impossible. While I am making a boot, I love it above everything. If I did not love it, I could not work at it. If anybody spoils it for me, I am in despair; but I only love it thus while I am working at it. When it is completed, there remains an attachment, a preference, which is weak and illegitimate.
It is the same with a mother. A man is called to serve others by multifarious labours, and he loves those labours while he is accomplishing them. A woman is called to serve others by her children, and she cannot help loving those children of hers while she is rearing them to the age of three, seven, or ten years.
In the general vocation of serving God and others, man and woman are entirely equal, notwithstanding the difference of the form of that service. The equality consists in the equal importance of one service and of the other,--that the one is impossible without the other, that the one depends upon the other, and that for efficient service, as well for man as for woman, the knowledge of truth is equally necessary.
Without this knowledge, the activity of man and woman becomes not useful but pernicious for mankind. Man is called to fulfil his multifarious labour; but his labour is only useful, and his physical, mental, and social labour is only fruitful, when it is fulfilled in the name of truth and the welfare of others.
A man can occupy himself as zealously as he will to increase his pleasures by vain reasoning and with social activity for his own advantage: his labour will not be fruitful. It will be so only when it is directed towards lessening the suffering of others through want and ignorance and from false social organization.
The same with woman's vocation: her bearing, nursing, and bringing up children will only be useful to mankind when she gives birth to children not only for her own pleasure, but when she prepares future servants of mankind; when the education of those children is done in the name of truth and for the welfare of others,--that is to say, when she will educate her children in such a manner that they shall be the very best men possible, and the very best labourers for others.
The ideal woman, in my opinion, is the one who,--appropriating the highest view of life of the time in which she lives, yet gives herself to her feminine mission, which is irresistibly placed in her,--that of bringing forth, nursing and educating, the greatest possible number of children, fitted to work for people according to the view which she has of life.
In order to appropriate the highest view of life, I think there is no need of visiting lectures: all that she requires is to read the gospel, and not to shut her eyes, ears, and, most of all, her heart.
Well, and if you ask what those are to do who have no children, who are not married, or who are widows, I answer that those will do well to share man's multifarious labour. But one cannot help feeling sorry that such a precious tool as woman is, should be bereft of the possibility of fulfilling the great vocation which it is given to her alone to fulfil.
Especially as every woman, when she has finished bearing children, if she has strength left, will have time to occupy herself with help in man's labour. Woman's help in that labour is very precious; but it will always be a pity to see a young woman fit for child-bearing occupied by man's labour.
To see such a woman, is the same as to see precious vegetable soil covered with stones as a place of parade or as a walking-ground. Still more a pity, because the earth could only produce bread, and a woman could produce that for which there cannot be any equivalent, than which there is nothing higher,--man. And only she is able to do this.
THE END
JUST PUBLISHED, PRICE 6d.
NEW STORIES by LEO TOLSTOY.
King Assarhadon, and other Two Stories.
With Introduction, including quotations from the Letters of Leo Tolstoy.
Authorized Translation BY V. TCHERTKOFF (Editor of "The Free Age Press.") AND I. F. M.
With Frontispiece, on Plate Paper, of the latest Portrait of Tolstoy on Horseback, August, 1903.
By request of Tolstoy, the profits of this work will be devoted to the relief of the families of the Jews massacred in Russia.
The Free Age Press, 13, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.
[ Transcriber's Note:
The following is a list of corrections made to the original. The first line is the original line, the second the corrected one.
strive to eradicate, each from himself, those false ideas, alse strive to eradicate, each from himself, those false ideas, false
permanent cloth-bound volumes, permanent cloth-bound volumes.
raiment? (Matt. vi, 19-25.) raiment?" (Matt. vi. 19-25.)
a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Luke xviii. 25). a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Luke xviii. 25.)
began to speak, he was shouldered aside by a big, black, hook-nosed began to speak, he was shouldered aside by a big, black, hook-nosed,
protection. They attempted to drag me out of the crush,. But the crowd protection. They attempted to drag me out of the crush. But the crowd
pauperism in Moscow, and te help exterminate it by personal effort and pauperism in Moscow, and to help exterminate it by personal effort and
with his air of decreptitude, feebleness, and poverty. Here he appeared with his air of decrepitude, feebleness, and poverty. Here he appeared
He was evidently pleased to have intercouse with the world which used He was evidently pleased to have intercourse with the world which used
women and men. As we approached them, Ivan Fedotitch said, "Now, here's women and men. As we approached them, Iván Fedotitch said, "Now, here's
No: it is that woman's there." "No: it is that woman's there."
called the _dens_ in Rzhanoff's house; where, however, three-forths of called the _dens_ in Rzhanoff's house; where, however, three-fourths of
And, strange to say, thought it might seem that to do good and to give And, strange to say, though it might seem that to do good and to give
through the people. He did not notice me and said hurredly,-- through the people. He did not notice me and said hurriedly,--
Chistmas-tree, and so on. Yet a man who needs ten rubles to buy bread Christmas-tree, and so on. Yet a man who needs ten rubles to buy bread
will try to find for the poor people some work to do. will try to find for the poor people some work to do."
more than a mere passer-by, and, if as, it often happened, he shed tears more than a mere passer-by, and, if, as it often happened, he shed tears
happened to give money or anything else to the poor,, and in my happened to give money or anything else to the poor, and in my
little good ;such as, for instance, the poor prostitute did who nursed a little good; such as, for instance, the poor prostitute did who nursed a
I see that there is going on something like what would take place in a I see that there is going on something like what would take place in an
incomprehensible and painful. incomprehensible, and painful.
rent (the value of the ground) belongs to the land.owner; interest rent (the value of the ground) belongs to the land-owner; interest
that some men by means of money, acquire an imaginary right to land and that some men, by means of money, acquire an imaginary right to land and
colonists, began to try to raise money in Melbourne among the mrechants, colonists, began to try to raise money in Melbourne among the merchants,
This phenomena repeats itself in America, in China, in Central Asia; This phenomenon repeats itself in America, in China, in Central Asia;
If the object of this sham pseudo--science of Political Economy had not If the object of this sham pseudo-science of Political Economy had not
the meaning of a ransom from violence.. the meaning of a ransom from violence.
assessors of direct taxation, supervisers, custom-house clerks, managers assessors of direct taxation, supervisors, custom-house clerks, managers
Its advantages for the oppressed is only that he is allowed greater Its advantage for the oppressed is only that he is allowed greater
This third method of enslaving men is also very old,, and comes into This third method of enslaving men is also very old, and comes into
benefit a man who, against his will, has been obiged to pay a sovereign benefit a man who, against his will, has been obliged to pay a sovereign
The violent seizures of the labourers' land has been justified as the The violent seizure of the labourers' land has been justified as the
slave-owner claims a right to the work of Peter, Ivan, Sidor. But slave-owner claims a right to the work of Peter, Iván, Sidor. But
knows about his right on Ivan, at the same time it removes all those knows about his right on Iván, at the same time it removes all those
So it is with money. I have a magical, everlasting rouble; I cut off So it is with money. I have a magical, everlasting ruble; I cut off
surrounding him, there exists a most clear simple, and easy means, the surrounding him, there exists a most clear, simple, and easy means, the
whom Moscow is filled, and the woman into the position of the girl whom whom Moscow is filled, and the women into the position of the girl whom
getting themselves up as no girl and no women who is not yet depraved getting themselves up as no girl and no woman who is not yet depraved
sweatmeats, cigarettes, and clean shirts, when their production is sweetmeats, cigarettes, and clean shirts, when their production is
It maybe that I shall eat human flesh when urged by hunger; but I shall It may be that I shall eat human flesh when urged by hunger; but I shall
healed Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until cities healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until cities
perish in the struggle. perish in the struggle?
A great many justifications have been invented However strange it may A great many justifications have been invented. However strange it may
soothsayers, the emperors of Rome and those of the Middle ages and their soothsayers, the emperors of Rome and those of the Middle Ages and their
appropriated the the labour of others, we find ourselves better able to appropriated the labour of others, we find ourselves better able to
undoubtedly done by them. On what grounds do they believe this. To the undoubtedly done by them. On what grounds do they believe this? To the
## CHAPTER XXII ##