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suddenly ‘knock off’ from active business for about three wecks i every month ; everyonce 1s 1n the doctor’s hands all the vear round— that 1s, while the doctor is not prevented from attending him by being 11l in bed himself ; you see, as the general illness originates from overwork, and as the doctors are, under the circumstances, the most overworked section of the community, the doctors are gencrally a little more 1ll than their patients. “LEverybody suffers from chronic nerves, and ‘jumps,” and ‘blues,” and various other diseases with similar scientific names ; n fact, cvery- body has nothing par- ticular the matter with him—no serious illness --and 1s In consequence always seriously 11l It 1s all the result of civili- zation, or over-popula- tion — which are ex- changeable terms for the same thing.” “Hum!” gmml)led the unreflecting Wil- lham. * Don’t quite sce why they need be ! Whycan’t your civilized communitics draw the line when the popula- tton has rcached its comfortable Imits, and 3 smother the super- fluous individ: 7 “Oh, Willlam! How can you? What a

STRAND

‘.

“THE DOCTORS ARE GENERALLY MORE ILL THAN THE

“ PUBLIC-SPIRITED Jov.”

MAGAZINL.

horrible 1dea! Smother their fellow-creatures! No, William ; morality, piety, the hetter fecl- ings of the community would, with one accord, rehel against so hideous and shocking an expedient—nay, 1t would not do at all. 1 have told you that the surplus population are required to be smashed and torn to death by cxplosives, and cut to picces with swords, and so forth. Pray, do not make such dreadful suggestions again | This city increases its population with ncredible rapidity 5 1s, in fact, the envy of the world, and 15 always pointed to as a model.”

“What a noise of cheering there 15 over i that part of the caty!” cxclaimed Willlam. “There are all sorts of decorations, and illuminations, and tri- umphal arches.”

“Ah! that parish has gained the prize for the highest birth-rate; and vou perceive It 15 erecting mmmense buildings within its bounds. These are new workhouses to recetve the mcrement of population, which will, of course, be unable to find a means of ivelihood. ‘That parish is the champion parish of that great city——a guiding star for

PATIENTS.”

| WORKHOUSE all the parishes in the EALF ~ RATIGNS, world. The paupers

L ST EIL L B2 . . . ~ e il I 1t —- two-thirds of

the entire population —have just been put on half rations in consc- quence of the in- creasing strain on the parish resources ;5 but those paupers are wise cenough to perceive

that mercase of population 1s the cgrcatest boon, the highest aim, of a community 1 and arc filled with public-spirited joy at the deduction from their allowance of food.

“l.et me show you a picture of the place a few hundred years later -—a year 1s & small division of time. It would be difficult to make you understand exactly what I mean by the abstract thing called Time, which 1 have conceived. Never mind.”

Something seemed to whirl past the consciousness of Willlam ; and

LIERS L PR LA I TESC T IO U 1 I!’

[P TR T ! ' 3 o '

. 1 A eTe i el Y G an Ay

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