also. We life only by following out the Divine plan and obeying the laws of our being.
'We must be weak as compared with the earth men!'
'No,' said my friend, 'considering our size we are a strong and compact species; we are relatively stronger and more active than our earth friends and we are warmer and our death rate is much lower. We do not employ half so many surgeons and physicians as they do. Our work is done more easily, but we are a busy race and have twice as many workers in proportion, profitable people as they have. Indeed, as you have already seen, this is for the greater part a made world; an idle population could not live upon it. We work to a purpose here. Our time is not spent in making guns, building forts and ships of war, and standing, millions of us, waiting to kill each other at the word of command. Again, we have not a vast population who spend their time in buying, selling, and carrying about all kinds of provisions and goods. What we make goes direct to the consumer and pays him for his work. The middle man who buys from the manufacturer and sells to the consumer and makes a profit out of articles that are not better but frequently worse for going through his hands does not exist here. This sets at liberty a whole army of men for industrial and productive pursuits.'
'But these changes will gradually be made upon earth?'
'Eventually they will,' answered Martha, 'though not yet. Earth-dwellers are not yet ready for an altruistic socialism. Their actions are selfish; they wish to acquire and to hold for themselves. We seek for the good of others and know that they seek for ours. On Earth people have to lock all their doors; here we have no need for lock or key. We only close doors and windows to keep out the cold; they have to use hasp and bolt and lock to keep out thieves. True, there is no incentive to steel or to accumulate; for we can always obtain what we require as long as we live. We cannot fall into poverty; and if by any chance we should become possessed of more wealth of any kind than we can use it would have to go into the coffers of the State.'
'The State, it appears to me, holds all the wealth.'
'Practically it does,' was the reply, 'who could hold it so safely and distribute it so wisely? Besides, the State is the people, we have a perfect democracy and a perfect socialism. No class can prey upon any other class in social life; all are free and have equal rights; we cannot be equal in power and capacity, hence some are greater than others. Politically we are self-governed and all laws are made for the benefit of all.'
'But our laws are not made by the people and for them?'
'By whom then, are they made and for whom?' asked my fair instructor. 'The Central Executive of one hundred of the best and most capable men and women on our planet meets twice a week not far from here for the purpose of directing the affairs of the world and for the good of all its
