Towards democracy

A Mightrer than Mammon 401

And, as he drew, the cell-walls widened—a new world rose—and folk came trooping in to gaze, And the barriers had vanished.

Wonderful, beautiful, the Soul that knits the Body’s life passed in, And the barriers had vanished.

Everywhere under the surface the streamers shoot, auroral,

Strands and tissues of a new life forming.

Already the monstrous accumulations of private wealth seem useless and a burden—

At best to be absorbed in new formations.

The young woman from an upper class of society builds up her girls’ club ; the young man organises his boys from the slums. Untiring is their cate; but something more, more personal and close, than philanthropy inspires them.

The little guilds of workers are animated by a new spintt ; to have pleasure in good work seems something worth living for; the home-colonists turn their backs on civilisation if only they may realise a friendly life with Nature and each other; the girls in the dress-making shop stand in a new relation to their mistress, and work so gladly for her and with her; the employer of labor begins to doubt whether he gets any satisfaction by grinding the faces of his men—a new idea is germinating in his mind; even to the landlord it occurs that to create a glad and free village life upon his estate would be more pleasure than to shoot over it.