"
"I could not do that," Haw answered earnestly. "I have not been singled
out to wield this immense power simply in order that I might lead a
happy life. I can never believe that. Now, can you not use your
imagination, Robert, and devise methods by which a man who has command
of--well, let us say, for argument's sake, boundless wealth, could
benefit mankind by it, without taking away any one's independence or in
any way doing harm?"
"Well, really, now that I come to think of it, it is a very difficult
problem," said Robert.
"Now I will submit a few schemes to you, and you may give me your
opinion on them. Supposing that such a man were to buy ten square miles
of ground here in Staffordshire, and were to build upon it a neat city,
consisting entirely of clean, comfortable little four-roomed houses,
furnished in a simple style, with shops and so forth, but no
public-houses. Supposing, too, that he were to offer a house free to
all the homeless folk, all the tramps, and broken men, and
out-of-workers in Great Britain. Then, having collected them together,
let him employ them, under fitting superintendence, upon some colossal
piece of work which would last for many years, and perhaps be of
permanent value to humanity.
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