"You mustn't offer me money. How can
that be right? That would be charity."
"Ahem!" said the professor. "Yes. But then--you mentioned that you
hadn't had any breakfast. Hadn't you better go into the kitchen. and
let them give you something?"
"But what is the use of putting things off?" cried Samuel wildly. "If
I'm going to preach this new idea, I've got to begin."
"But you can't preach very long on an empty stomach," objected the
other.
To which Samuel answered, "The preaching has to be by deeds."
And so he took his departure; and Professor Stewart turned back to his
work-table, upon which lay the bulky manuscript of his monumental
work, which was entitled: "Methods of Relief; A Theory and a
Programme." Some pages lay before him; the top one was headed:
"Chapter LXIII--Unemployment and Social Responsibility." And Professor
Stewart sat before this title, and stared, and stared.
CHAPTER VIII
Samuel meantime was walking down the broad macadam avenue debating his
problem. The first glow of excitement was over, and he was finding
difficulties. The theory still held; but in the carrying out of it
there were complications.
For one thing, it would be so hard to spread this doctrine. For if one
tried to teach it by words, he seemed a hypocrite, as the professor
had said; and on the other hand, if one simply practiced it, who would
ever know? Suppose, for instance, that he starved to death during the
next few days? That would be only one person removed, and apparently
there were millions of the superfluous.
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