large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_09_morris_64kb_83
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_09_morris_64kb
English
6138
If such a man were to allow the cinders to be raked all over his drawing room, and a privy to be established in each corner of his dining room, if he habitually made a dust and refuse heap of his once beautiful garden, never washed his sheets or changed his tablecloth, and made his family sleep five in a bed, he would surely find himself in the claws of a commission _de lunatico_. IF SUCH A MAN WERE TO ALLOW THE CINDERS TO BE RAKED ALL OVER HIS DRAWING ROOM AND A PRIVY TO BE ESTABLISHED IN EACH CORNER OF HIS DINING ROOM IF HE HABITUALLY MADE A DUST AND REFUSE HEAP OF HIS ONCE BEAUTIFUL GARDEN NEVER WASHED HIS SHEETS OR CHANGED HIS TABLE CLOTH AND MADE HIS FAMILY SLEEP FIVE IN A BED HE WOULD SURELY FIND HIMSELF IN THE CLAWS OF A COMMISSION DE LUNATICO
for it stamped all labour with the impress of pleasure. All this has now quite disappeared from the work of civilization. If you wish to have ornament, you must pay specially for it, and the workman is compelled to produce ornament, as he is to produce other wares. He is compelled to pretend happiness in his work, so that the beauty produced by man’s hand, which was once a solace to his labour, has now become an extra burden to him, and ornament is now but one of the follies of useless toil, and perhaps not the least irksome of its fetters. Besides the short duration of labour, its conscious usefulness, and the variety which should go with it, there is another thing needed to make it attractive, and that is pleasant surroundings. The misery and squalor which we people of civilization bear with so much complacency as a necessary part of the manufacturing system, is just as necessary to the community at large as a proportionate amount of filth would be in the house of a private rich man. E IMPORTANCE STILL FOR IT STAMPED ALL LABOUR WITH THE IMPRESS OF PLEASURE ALL THIS HAS NOW QUITE DISAPPEARED FROM THE WORK OF CIVILIZATION IF YOU WISH TO HAVE ORNAMENT YOU MUST PAY SPECIALLY FOR IT AND THE WORKMAN IS COMPELLED TO PRODUCE ORNAMENT AS HE IS TO PRODUCE OTHER WARES HE IS COMPELLED TO PRETEND HAPPINESS IN HIS WORK SO THAT THE BEAUTY PRODUCED BY MAN'S HAND WHICH WAS ONCE A SOLACE TO HIS LABOUR HAS NOW BECOME AN EXTRA BURDEN TO HIM AND ORNAMENT IS NOW BUT ONE OF THE FOLLIES OF USELESS TOIL AND PERHAPS NOT THE LEAST IRKSOME OF ITS FETTERS BESIDES THE SHORT DURATION OF LABOUR ITS CONSCIOUS USEFULNESS AND THE VARIETY WHICH SHOULD GO WITH IT THERE IS ANOTHER THING NEEDED TO MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE AND THAT IS PLEASANT SURROUNDINGS THE MISERY AND SQUALOR WHICH WE PEOPLE OF CIVILIZATION BEAR WITH SO MUCH COMPLACENCY AS A NECESSARY PART OF THE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM IS JUST AS NECESSARY TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AS A PROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF FILTH WOULD BE IN THE HOUSE OF A PRIVATE RICH MAN
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