THE GOSPEL OF RECREATION. 357 



aged constitutions reappear in children, and entail on them far more 

 of ill than great fortunes yield them of good. When life has been 

 duly rationalized by science, it will be seen that among a man's duties 

 care of the body is imperative, not only out of regard for personal 

 welfare, but also out of regard for descendants. His constitution will 

 be considered as an entailed estate, which he ought to pass on unin- 

 jured if not improved to those who follow ; and it will be held that 

 millions bequeathed by him will not compensate for feeble health and 

 decreased ability to enjoy life. Once more, there is the injury to fel- 

 low-citizens, taking the shape of undue disregard of competitors. I 

 hear that a great trader among you deliberately endeavored to crush 

 out every one whose business competed with his own ; and manifestly 

 the man who, making himself a slave to accumulation, absorbs an inor- 

 dinate share of the trade or profession he is engaged in, makes life 

 harder for all others engaged in it, and excludes from it many who 

 might otherwise gain competencies. Thus, besides the egoistic mo- 

 tive, there are two altruistic motives which should deter from this 

 excess in work. 



The truth is, there needs a revised ideal of life. Look back 

 through the past, or look abroad through the present, and we find 

 that the ideal of life is variable, and depends on social conditions. 

 Every one knows that to be a successful warrior was the highest aim 

 among all ancient peoples of note, as it is still among many barbarous 

 peoples. When we remember that in the Norseman's heaven the time 

 was to be passed in daily battles, with magical healing of wounds, we 

 see how deeply rooted may become the conception that fighting is 

 man's proper business, and that industry is fit only for slaves and 

 people of low degree. That is to say, when the chronic struggles of 

 races necessitate perpetual wars, there is evolved an ideal of life 

 adapted to the requirements. We have changed all that in modern 

 civilized societies, especially in England, and still more in America. 

 With the decline of militant activity, and the growth of industrial 

 activity, the occupations once disgraceful have become honorable. 

 The duty to work has taken the place of the duty to fight ; and in the 

 one case, as in the other, the ideal of life has become so well estab- 

 lished that scarcely any dream of questioning it. Practically, business 

 has been substituted for war as the purpose of existence. 



Is this modern ideal to survive throughout the future ? I think 

 not. While all other things undergo continuous change, it is impossi- 

 ble that ideals should remain fixed. The ancient ideal was appropriate 

 to the ages of conquest by man over man, and spread of the strongest 

 races. The modern ideal is appropriate to ages in which conquest of 

 the earth and subjection of the powers of Nature to human use is the 

 predominant need. But hereafter, when both these ends have in the 

 main been achieved, the ideal formed will probably differ considerably 

 from the present one. May we not foresee the nature of the differ- 



