that repulsion by making a conventional abstraction of mankind that
had little actual or historical relation to the race; which to his
eyes was divided into blind tyrants on the one hand and apathetic
degraded slaves on the other. But now, where is the difficulty in
accepting the religion of humanity, when the men and women who go to
make up humanity are free, happy, and energetic at least, and most
commonly beautiful of body also, and surrounded by beautiful things
of their own fashioning, and a nature bettered and not worsened by
contact with mankind? This is what this age of the world has
reserved for us."

"It seems true," said I, "or ought to be, if what my eyes have seen
is a token of the general life you lead. Can you now tell me
anything of your progress after the years of the struggle?"

Said he: "I could easily tell you more than you have time to listen
to; but I can at least hint at one of the chief difficulties which
had to be met: and that was, that when men began to settle down
after the war, and their labour had pretty much filled up the gap in
wealth caused by the destruction of that war, a kind of
disappointment seemed coming over us, and the prophecies of some of
the reactionists of past times seemed as if they would come true, and
a dull level of utilitarian comfort be the end for a while of our
aspirations and success. The loss of the competitive spur to
exertion had not, indeed, done anything to interfere with the
necessary production of the community, but how if it should make men
dull by giving them too much time for thought or idle musing? But,
after all, this dull thunder-cloud only threatened us, and then
passed over. Probably, from what I have told you before, you will
have a guess at the remedy for such a disaster; remembering always