ealth of the
country, and have no poor people at all such as I see before me--such as
this poor fellow," (laying his hand on the shoulder of the outrageously
miserable man, who said `Just so' feebly, but seemed to shrink from his
touch). "Do I not speak the truth?" he added, looking round with the
air of a man who feels that he carries his audience with him.

"Well, mister, I ain't just quite clear about that," said Reggie North,
rising up and looking over the heads of those in front of him. There
was an immediate and complete silence, for North had both a voice and a
face fitted to command attention. "I'm not a learned man, you see, an'
hain't studied the subjec', but isn't there a line in the Bible which
says, `Blessed are they that consider the poor?' Now it do seem to me
that if we was all equally rich, there would be no poor to consider, an'
no rich to consider 'em!"

There was a considerable guffaw at this, and the argumentative man was
about to reply, but North checked him with--

"'Old on, sir, I ain't done yet. You said that Sir Cowley Cross--"

"Crossly Cowel," cried his opponent, correcting.

"I ax your pardon; Sir Crossly Cowel--that 'e 'ad no right to 'is
millions, 'cause 'e didn't earn 'em, and because 'is father left 'em to
'im. Now, I 'ad a grandmother with one eye, poor thing--but of coorse
that's nothin' to do wi' the argiment--an' she was left a fi' pun note
by 'er father as 'ad a game leg--though that's nothin' to do wi' the
argiment neither. Now, what puzzles me is, that if Sir Cow--Cross--"

A great shout of laughter interrupted North here, for he looked so
innocently stupid, that most of the audience saw he was making game of
the social reformer.

"What puzzles me is," continued North, "that if Sir Crossly Cowel 'as no
right to 'is millions, my old grandmother 'ad no right to 'er fi' pun
note!" ("Hear, hear," and applause.) "I don't know nothin' about that
there big thief Willum you mentioned, nor yet Lord Lorrumdoddy, not
bein' 'ighly connected, you see, mates, but no doubt this gentleman
believes in 'is principles--"

"Of course I does," said the social reformer indignantly.

"Well, then," resumed North, suddenly throwing off his sheepish look and
sternly gazing at the reformer while he pointed to the outrageously
miserable man, who had neither coat, vest, shoes, nor socks, "do you see
that man? If you are in earnest, take off your coat and give it to him.
What right have you