So much for the supply of food. As for their clothing, it is exceedingly simple, and is made exclusively from vegetable products. It is worn, indeed, merely as a protection from heat or cold; for the notion of there being anything indecorous in appearing in a state of nudity has no existence in the Hesperian mind. Thus, the two great leading wants being easily supplied, the population being all personally known to each other, and a due consideration for the wishes of their neighbours being universally recognized as a ground of moral obligation—engrained as this had been into the disposition of each through ages of exercise—the establishment of a perfect socialistic system was easily accomplished. The state of society which, at the time of my visit, prevailed over the whole planet, was one which could not have existed under less favourable conditions of life. It was not based on the chimerical theory that everybody is supposed to sacrifice himself for everybody else; and thus unite in each person the incongruous characters of a greedy baby and a self-denying saint—selfishly and unscrupulously taking from others the fruits of their labour, while unselfishly yielding up whatever he has earned by his own hard work. Far from it: the Hesperian system was founded on the fair and rational doctrine of give and take, honestly carried out. No one was afflicted with an inscrutable desire of thrusting a ‘happiness’ on his neighbour which he, for himself, repudiated with scorn. The gifts of nature were so very liberal that a small amount of daily labour on the part of each person sufficed to discharge his debt to the society; and this amount was, by everyone, regarded as a rigorous debt of honour, never to be shirked or evaded in any way. In the appointment of this prescribed quantity, it was a recognized maxim in practice that, whenever it was possible, the inclination of the labourer should be consulted. Special commissioners entrusted with this task were from time to time appointed in each town and district. The work proceeded with great smoothness. Everyone was anxious to do his share honestly. There were none of those idle scamps whose only object is to loaf around in idleness at the expense of their neighbours, and whose existence elsewhere renders every form of socialism an impossibility, except under a system of espionage so rigorous as to render life an intolerable burden. Everyone, by this time, being quite competent for the work of every skilled trade or calling, exchanges of allotted tasks were easily effected. The more irksome the labour, the shorter was the time required from the labourer. Sometimes it would happen that a man or woman would prefer, instead of working for a short time each day, to execute a long task by continuous labour, so as to have leisure afterwards for some special pursuit; this also was a matter easily arranged.