Page:Carroll - Sylvie and Bruno Concluded.djvu/76

38 "The commonest type of 'idle mouths," said Arthur, "is no doubt due to money being left by parents to their own children. So I imagined a man——either exceptionally clever, or exceptionally strong and industrious——who had contributed so much valuable labour to the needs of the community that its equivalent, in clothes, &c., was (say) five times as much as he needed for himself. We cannot deny his absolute right to give the superfluous wealth as he chooses. So, if he leaves four children behind him (say two sons and two daughters), with enough of all the necessaries of life to last them a life-time, I cannot see that the community is in any way wronged if they choose to do nothing in life but to 'eat, drink, and be merry.' Most certainly, the community could not fairly say, in reference to them, 'if a man will not work, neither let him eat.' Their reply would be crushing. 'The labour has already been done, which is a fair equivalent for the food we are eating; and you have had the benefit of it. On what principle of justice can you demand two quotas of work for one quota of food?'"