按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
XI SERIOUS READING； 90
XII DANGERS TO AVOID； 97
HOW TO LIVE ON
TWENTY…FOUR HOURS A DAY
I
THE DAILY MIRACLE
〃Yes； he's one of those men that don't know how to manage。
Good situation。 Regular income。 Quite enough for luxuries
as well as needs。 Not really extravagant。 And yet the fellow's
always in difficulties。 Somehow he gets nothing out of his
money。 Excellent flathalf empty！ Always looks as if he'd had
the brokers in。 New suitold hat！ Magnificent necktiebaggy
trousers！ Asks you to dinner： cut glassbad mutton； or Turkish
coffeecracked cup！ He can't understand it。 Explanation simply
is that he fritters his income away。 Wish I had the half of it！ I'd
show him〃
So we have most of us criticised； at one time or another； in our
superior way。
We are nearly all chancellors of the exchequer： it is the pride of
the moment。 Newspapers are full of articles explaining how to live
on such…and…such a sum； and these articles provoke a correspondence
whose violence proves the interest they excite。 Recently； in a daily
organ； a battle raged round the question whether a woman can exist
nicely in the country on L85 a year。 I have seen an essay； 〃How to
live on eight shillings a week。〃 But I have never seen an essay； 〃How
to live on twenty…four hours a day。〃 Yet it has been said that time is
money。 That proverb understates the case。 Time is a great deal more
than money。 If you have time you can obtain moneyusually。 But
though you have the wealth of a cloak…room attendant at the Carlton
Hotel； you cannot buy yourself a minute more time than I have； or the
cat by the fire has。
Philosophers have explained space。 They have not explained time。 It
is the inexplicable raw material of everything。 With it； all is possible；
without it； nothing。 The supply of time is truly a daily miracle； an
affair genuinely astonishing when one examines it。 You wake up in
the morning； and lo！ your purse is magically filled with twenty…four
hours of the unmanufactured tissue of the universe of your life！ It is
yours。 It is the most precious of possessions。 A highly singular
commodity； showered upon you in a manner as singular as the
commodity itself！
For remark！ No one can take it from you。 It is unstealable。 And no
one receives either more or less than you receive。
Talk about an ideal democracy！ In the realm of time there is no aristocracy
of wealth； and no aristocracy of intellect。 Genius is never rewarded by even
an extra hour a day。 And there is no punishment。 Waste your infinitely
precious commodity as much as you will； and the supply will never be
withheld from you。 Mo mysterious power will say：〃This man is a fool；
if not a knave。 He does not deserve time； he shall be cut off at the meter。〃
It is more certain than consols； and payment of income is not affected by
Sundays。 Moreover； you cannot draw on the future。 Impossible to get into
debt！ You can only waste the passing moment。 You cannot waste to…
morrow； it is kept for you。 You cannot waste the next hour； it is kept for you。
I said the affair was a miracle。 Is it not？
You have to live on this twenty…four hours of daily time。 Out of it you have
to spin health； pleasure； money； content； respect； and the evolution of your
immortal soul。 Its right use； its most effective use； is a matter of the highest
urgency and of the most thrilling actuality。 All depends on that。 Your
happinessthe elusive prize that you are all clutching for； my friends！
depends on that。 Strange that the newspapers； so enterprising and up…to…
date as they are； are not full of 〃How to live on a given income of time；〃
instead of 〃How to live on a given income of money〃！ Money is far
commoner than time。 When one reflects； one perceives that money is just
about the commonest thing there is。 It encumbers the earth in gross heaps。
If one can't contrive to live on a certain income of money； one earns a
little moreor steals it； or advertises for it。 One doesn't necessarily
muddle one's life because one can't quite manage on a thousand pounds
a year； one braces the muscles and makes it guineas； and balances the
budget。 But if one cannot arrange that an income of twenty…four hours
a day shall exactly cover all proper items of expenditure； one does
muddle one's life definitely。 The supply of time； though gloriously
regular； is cruelly restricted。
Which of us lives on twenty…four hours a day？ And when I say 〃lives；〃
I do not mean exists； nor 〃muddles through。〃 Which of us is free from
that uneasy feeling that the 〃great spending departments〃 of his daily
life are not managed as they ought to be？ Which of us is quite sure
that his fine suit is not surmounted by a shameful hat； or that in attending
to the crockery he has forgotten the quality of the food？ Which of us is
not saying to himselfwhich of us has not been saying to himself all his
life： 〃I shall alter that when I have a little more time〃？
We never shall have any more time。 We have； and we have always had；
all the time there is。 It is the realisation of this profound and neglected
truth （which； by the way； I have not discovered） that has led me to the
minute practical examination of daily time…expenditure。
II
THE DESIRE TO EXCEED ONE'S PROGRAMME
〃But；〃 someone may remark； with the English disregard of everything
except the point； 〃what is he driving at with his twenty…four hours a day？
I have no difficulty in living on twenty…four hours a day。 I do all that I
want to do； and still find time to go in for newspaper competitions。 Surely
it is a simple affair； knowing that one has only twenty…four hours a day； to
content one's self with twenty…four hours a day！〃
To you； my dear sir； I present my excuses and apologies。 You are precisely
the man that I have been wishing to meet for about forty years。 Will you
kindly send me your name and address； and state your charge for telling me
how you do it？ Instead of me talking to you； you ought to be talking to me。
Please come forward。 That you exist； I am convinced； and that I have not
yet encountered you is my loss。 Meanwhile； until you appear； I will continue
to chat with my companions in distressthat innumerable band of souls who
are haunted； more or less painfully； by the feeling that the years slip by； and
slip by； and slip by； and that they have not yet been able to get their lives into
proper working order。
If we analyse that feeling； we shall perceive it to be； primarily； one of
uneasiness； of expectation； of looking forward； of aspiration。 It is a source
of constant discomfort； for it behaves like a skeleton at the feast of all our
enjoyments。 We go to the theatre and laugh； but between the acts it raises
a skinny finger at us。 We rush violently for the last train； and while we are
cooling a long age on the platform waiting for the last train； it promenades
its bones up and down by our side and inquires： 〃O man； what hast thou
done with thy youth？ What art thou doing with thine age？〃 You may urge
that this feeling of continuous looking forward； of aspiration； is part of life
itself； and inseparable from life itself。 True！
But there are degrees。 A man may desire to go to Mecca。 His conscience
tells him that he ought to go to Mecca。 He fares forth； either by the aid of
Cook's； or unassisted； he may probably never reach Mecca； he may drown
before he gets to Port Said； he may perish ingloriously on the coast of the
Red Sea； his desire may remain eternally frustrate。 Unfulfilled aspiration
may always trouble him。 But he will not be tormented in the same way as
the man who； desiring to reach Mecca； and harried by the desire to reach
Mecca； never leaves Brixton。
It is something to have left Brixton。 Most of us have not left Brixton。 We
have not even taken a cab to Ludgate Circus and inquired from Cook's the
price of a conducted tour。 And our excuse to ourselves is that there are only
twenty…four hours in the day。
If we further analyse our vague； uneasy aspiration； we shall； I think； see
that it springs from a fixed idea that we ought to do something in addition
to those things which we are loyally and morally obliged to do。 We are
obliged； by various codes written and unwritten； to maintain ourselves
and our families （if any） in health and comfort； to pay our debts； to save；
to increase our prosperity by increasing our efficiency。 A task sufficiently
difficult！ A task which very few of us achieve！ A task often beyond our
skill！ yet； if we succeed in it； as we sometimes do； we are not satisfied； the
skeleton is still with us。
And even when we realise tat the task is beyond our skill； that our powers
cannot cope with it； we feel that we should be less discontented if we gave
to our powers； already overtaxed； something still further to do。
And such is； indeed； the fact。 The wish to accomplish something outside
their form