THE COMING KINGDOM.

THE leading illustrated weekly magazine of this country keeps standing in display type under its name, the words: "A Journal of Civilization.’ This journal maintains an ably conducted department called "This Busy World," in which are presented week by week interesting items relating to culture and progress. The number which lay upon my desk when I sat down to make the notes for this address, contained, among others, this note of civilization:

An outrage which from time to time calls forth fruitless wails of indignation from the populace of San Francisco was again brought to public notice a few days ago. This is the throwing in (sic) the bay of thousands upon thousands of fresh herring in order to keep up the market price. This barbarous custom of dumping tons of fresh fish in the bay rather than allow the price to drop the fraction of a cent has been vainly attacked by the Harbor Commission. The fishermen have circumvented them by throwing their

cargoes over in the middle of the bay, where the State Board cannot reach them. The waste is particularly aggravating when one considers the possibility of distributing or selling such fish at low prices to the poor.

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It is only one of many glimpses which any journal will give into the state of society. in which we live. I select it because its scene is far away, and because, therefore, no interest of anyone here is engaged in it, and no one's resentment can be aroused by its recitation. But is it necessary to say that it is not an incident which is in the least out of line with the customary conduct of production and consumption as it goes on to-day? Doesn't everyone know that a vast amount of food daily goes to waste, while thousands of people habitually go hungry? Doesn't everyone know that the vast system by which things now are produced, prepared for use, distributed and redistributed for sale, and finally retailed, puts a fictitious value upon every article of food, clothing, comfort and luxury, and makes it necessary to maintain that value?-that it adds to the cost of every purchase, by rich and poor,

the cost of wasted labor, and all the unnecessary expenditure for advertising,—a species of warfare,-and the making attractive of rival establishments? I am not, nor during these addresses shall I be, denouncing those who prosper under this system. I am only pointing out certain facts which are connected with it. Among other such facts are these:

The necessaries for satisfactory human life, in the lowest estimate, are:-pure air, pure water, pure food and a sufficient amount of it, a certain amount of clothing, protection from the weather, fuel for cooking and heating, possibilities of cleanliness, of adequate rest, and of decent privacy.10 Is it any secret that a considerable portion of humanity does not have these things?

To lift human life above the level of brute existence, to the above-mentioned necessities must be added:-opportunity for acquiring knowledge, for at least a little acquaintance with history, science, possibly with literature, philosophy, and art; opportunity to read books, see pictures, hear

music, witness the drama; opportunity for decent sober intercourse with others, occasional recreation in joyful gatherings, in the noble sports, possibly in travel. It is perfectly well known that more than half the race does not have these opportunities.

This is in the large, and, like all such statements, touches nobody with its pathos. It is when one goes out among these "" masses, as we call them, and sees with his own eyes particular instances of abject want and unspeakable misery, that it begins to come home to him like the hurt of a stab or blow, that this should be. When for a little while he has gone into and out of tenements where light and pure air and cleanliness are luxuries for which their swarming tenants can never hope; when he has seen a thousand men, women, and children living -if the word will bear such a use-in one narrow court, under conditions in which it would be a scandal to kennel animals; when he learns the current wages of shirt-makers and shop-girls, and understands that they are not everywhere expected to live upon their pay; when he has seen a woman or