Page:Diary of a Pilgrimage (1891).pdf/280

278 "Oh! Oh, about how wretched life must have been in the old times, and about how happy we are now, and—and—oh, and the Destiny of Humanity!"

"Don't you ever get sick of the Destiny of Humanity?"

"No, not much."

"And what do you understand by it? What is the Destiny of Humanity, do you think?"

"Oh!—why to—to go on being like we are now, only more so—everybody more equal, and more things done by electricity, and everybody to have two votes instead of one, and ——"

"Thank you. That will do. Is there anything else that you think of? Have you got a religion?"

"Oh, yes."

"And you worship a God?"

"Oh, yes."

"What do you call him?"

"THE MAJORITY."

"One question more You don't mind my asking you all these questions, by-the-by, do you?"

"Oh, no. This is all part of my three hours' labour for the State."

"Oh, I'm glad of that. I should not like to feel that I was encroaching on your time for rest; but what I wanted to ask was, do many of the people here commit suicide?"

"No; such a thing never occurs to them."

I looked at the faces of the men and women that were passing. There was a patient, almost pathetic, expression upon them all. I wondered where I had seen that look before; it seemed familiar to me.

All at once I remembered. It was just the quiet, troubled, wondering expression that I had always noticed