We are rather a lazy people after the age of childhood, and do not like undergoing more cares than we can help, and great wealth does give its owner many cares.
For instance, it marks us out for public offices, which none of us like and none of us can refuse.

It necessitates our taking a continued interest in the affairs of any of our poorer countrymen, so that we may anticipate their wants and see that none fall into poverty.

There is an old proverb amongst us which says, 'The poor man's need is the rich man's shame---'" "Pardon me, if I interrupt you for a moment.

You allow that some, even of the Vril-ya, know want, and need relief." "If by want you mean the destitution that prevails in a Koom-Posh, THAT is impossible with us, unless an An has, by some extraordinary process, got rid of all his means, cannot or will not emigrate, and has either tired out the affectionate aid of this relations or personal friends, or refuses to accept it." "Well, then, does he not supply the place of an infant or automaton, and become a labourer--a servant ?" "No; then we regard him as an unfortunate person of unsound reason, and place him, at the expense of the State, in a public building, where every comfort and every luxury that can mitigate his affliction are lavished upon him.

But an An does not like to be considered out of his mind, and therefore such cases occur so seldom that the public building I speak of is now a deserted ruin, and the last inmate of it was an An whom I recollect to have seen in my childhood.