in sufficient bread to keep them from starving. The
manifest poverty of the prolific lower classes of Malta is appalling to
the political economist. Who would dare to sound the depth of this sea
of human want and misery, the daily lot of these hordes of half-fed men?
While looking upon such a scene, a resident with whom we were in company
was asked: "Where can this army of poor, portionless creatures bestow
themselves at night?" The reply was brief and significant: "They have
always the sky over them!" Doubtless a large percentage of these people
sleep on the bare ground, or rather on the flat stones leading up the
lateral streets, with a step for a pillow, like homeless dogs, wherever
drowsiness overtakes them. Fortunately, in this climate the poor do not
suffer from cold under any ordinary circumstances. We were told by our
companion that many of these lazzaroni were heedless rogues and
professional thieves, without the least moral sense of right and wrong.
Who can be surprised at the dishonesty of such poor, ignorant creatures?
_Is_ it dishonesty, this feverish, irregular, desperate struggle for
existence? Must not food be had at any cost? Ah, the great social
problem of dire poverty and purse-proud wealth, this startling
inequality of possession and position, this paucity of sustenance on the
one hand and plethora of means on the other, which presents itself in
every populous community all over the globe!

It is to sever the Gordian knot of this confusing problem that the
half-crazy, drinking socialist, the wholly reckless, unreasoning
nihilist, resorts to the sword and the fulminating bomb. Far be it from
us to sympathize with such disciples of anarchy; we only present facts
to the mind of the thoughtful reader. Every one admits the incongruity
of the situation. Many worthy persons give way to a false spirit of
philanthropy in connection with it. One thing is certain,--the means
adopted by these irresponsible agitators, socialist or nihilist, will
never remedy, but only augment the difficulty.

There are many rich people in Malta, while the churches--supposed
emblems of charity, peace, and good-will towards men--are uselessly
decorated with gold and silver candlesticks, precious stones, costly
marbles, valuable tapestry, and priceless works of art, articles as
foreign to any true principle of devotion as snow is to the vegetation
of the tropics. No one can travel in Spain, Italy, Mexico, or South
America--all Roma