t of view even of
the reward of each, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken, when a
single strand would snap.

When men first learned, even in its most rudimentary sense, that union
is strength, the dawn of civilization began. For offence and for
defence, the principle of association early proved itself the fittest
for survival. The future is always with Isaac, not with Ishmael--with
Jacob, not with Esau. In everything this is seen, in the struggle of
races, or trade, or ideas. Even as a religious method to make an
impact on the world, it is true. John of the Desert touched here a
life, and there a life; Jesus of Nazareth, seeking disciples, founding
a society, moved the world to its heart.

It is not necessary to labor this point, that two are better than one,
to a commercial age like ours, which, whatever it does not know, at
least knows its arithmetic. We would say that it is self-evident, that
by the law of addition it is double, and by the law of multiplication
twice the number. But it is not so exact as that, nor so self-evident.
When we are dealing with men, our ready-reckoner rules do not work out
correctly. In this region one and one are not always two. They are
sometimes more than two, and sometimes less than two. Union of all
kinds, which may be strength, may be weakness. It was not till Gideon
weeded out his army, once and twice, that he was promised victory. The
fruits of friendship may be corrupting, and unspeakably evil to the
life. The reward of the labor of two may be less than that of one.
The boy pulling a barrow is lucky if he get another boy to shove
behind, but if the boy behind not only ceases to shove, but sits on the
barrow, the last end is worse than the first. A threefold cord with
two of the strands rotten is worse than a single sound strand, for it
deceives into putting too much weight on it.

In social economics it is evident that society is not merely the sum of
the units that compose it. Two are better than one, not merely because
the force is doubled. It may even be said that two are better than
two. Two together mean more than two added singly; for a new element
is introduced which increases the power of each individually. When the
man Friday came into the life of Robinson Crusoe, he brought with him a
great deal more than his own individual value, which with his lower
civilization would not be very much. But to Robinson Crusoe he
represented society, and all