the days of my life

第64部分 (第3/7頁)

tood　there　evolving　the　material　for　another　book。

Before　I　finally　leave　the　subject　of　romance…writing　I　should　like　to　say　a　few　words　upon　a　certain　point。　I　have　been　a　good　deal　attacked　because　there　is　much　fighting　in　many　of　my　more　imaginative　works；　which　fighting　necessarily　involves　the　death　of　men；　the　inference　being　that　to　write　of　such　things　is　not　desirable。　I　would　ask；　Why　not？　However　painful　the　fact；　it　remains　true　that　man　is　a　fighting　animal；　and　that　from　the　time　of　Homer　down；　and　probably　for　tens　of　thousands　of　years　before　it；　some　of　his　finest　qualities　—　such　as　patriotism；　courage；　obedience　to　authority；　patience　in　disaster；　fidelity　to　friends　and　a　noble　cause；　endurance；　and　so　forth　—　have　been　evolved　in　the　presence　of　war；　as　we　need　go　no　further　than　the　pages　of　the　Old　Testament　to　learn。　Is　it　not　better　to　write　of　hard；　clean；　honest　fighting　than；　for　instance；　of　treacherous　and　sickening　murder？　Will　any　young　man　be　the　worse　for　the　lesson　that　his　hands　were　given　him　to　defend　his　head；　and；　if　need　be；　his　country’s　honour；　with　that　of　all　who　are　dear　to　him？　I　think　not。

It　is　true　that　in　such　a　book　as　“Nada　the　Lily”　there　is　much　slaughter。　But　all　this　is　a　matter　of　history。　A　tale　of　the　days　of　Chaka　which　left　out　his　slayings　and　battles　would　be　false　to　the　facts　and　merely　ludicrous。　Omelets　cannot　be　made　without　the　breaking　of　eggs。　Would　such　critics　then　argue　that　this　tale　and　others　like　it　should　be　left　untold？　If　so；　I　hold　that　they　are　wrong；　since　these　give　a　picture　which；　from　the　circumstances　of　my　youth；　perhaps　I　alone　in　the　world　can　paint；　not　only　of　some　very　remarkable　men；　but　of　a　state　of　savage　society　which　has　now　passed　away　and　may　never　rec