enough to buy one, that I lend him a pound for the purpose. But, I
do it in this way. I leave such of the club members as choose it
and desire it, to form themselves into parties of five. To every
man in each company of five, I lend a pound, to buy a pig. But,
each man of the five becomes bound for every other man, as to the
repayment of his money. Consequently, they look after one another,
and pick out their partners with care; selecting men in whom they
have confidence."

"They repay the money, I suppose, when the pig is fattened, killed,
and sold?"

"Yes. Then they repay the money. And they do repay it. I had one
man, last year, who was a little tardy (he was in the habit of going
to the public-house); but even he did pay. It is an immense
Advantage to one of these poor fellows to have a pig. The pig
consumes the refuse from the man's cottage and allotment-garden, and
the pig's refuse enriches the man's garden besides. The pig is the
poor man's friend. Come into the club-house again."

The poor man's friend. Yes. I have often wondered who really was
the poor man's friend among a great number of competitors, and I now
clearly perceive him to be the pig. HE never makes any flourishes
about the poor man. HE never gammons the poor man--except to his
manifest advantage in the article of bacon. HE never comes down to
this house, or goes down to his constituents. He openly declares to
the poor man, "I want my sty because I am a Pig. I desire to have
as much to eat as you can by any means stuff me with, because I am a
Pig." HE never gives the poor man a sovereign for bringing up a
family. HE never grunts the poor man's name in vain. And when he