Such would have been our answer in Europe in the ages of the past, if asked
the question why we were contented with our field of labour and sought no
other. Man had his work; we had ours. We knew that we upbore our world on
our shoulders; and that through the labour of our hands it was sustained
and strengthened--and we were contented.

But now, again a change has come.

Something that is entirely new has entered into the field of human labour,
and left nothing as it was.

In man's fields of toil, change has accomplished, and is yet more quickly
accomplishing, itself.

On lands where once fifty men and youths toiled with their cattle, today
one steam-plough, guided by but two pair of hands, passes swiftly; and an
automatic reaper in one day reaps and binds and prepares for the garner the
produce of fields it would have taken a hundred strong male arms to harvest
in the past. The iron tools and weapons, only one of which it took an
ancient father of our race long months of stern exertion to extract from
ore and bring to shape and temper, are now poured forth by steam-driven
machinery as a millpond pours forth its water; and even in war, the male's
ancient and especial field of labour, a complete reversal of the ancient
order has taken place. Time was when the size and strength of the muscles
in a man's legs and arms, and the strength and size of his body, largely
determined his fighting powers, and an Achilles or a Richard Coeur de Lion,
armed only with his spear or battle-axe, made a host fly before him; today
the puniest mannikin behind a modern Maxim gun may mow down in perfect
safety a phalanx of heroes whose legs and arms and physical powers a Greek