"Yes, there were such, in large numbers, in our great cities particularly; but public opinion was rising against them even as far back as 1910. The more progressive women turned the light on them first, and then men took it up and began to see that this domestic pet was not only expensive and useless but injurious and absurd. I don't suppose we can realize," she continued meditatively, "how complete the change in public opinion is--and how supremely important. In visible material progress we have only followed simple lines, quite natural and obvious, and accomplished what was perfectly possible at any time--if we had only thought so." "_That's_ the point!" Mr. Pike was unable to preserve his air of restraint any longer, and burst forth volubly. "That was the greatest, the most sudden, the most vital of our changes, sir--the change in the world's thought! Ideas are the real things, sir! Brick and mortar? Bah! We can put brick and mortar in any shape we choose--but we have to choose first! What held the old world back was not facts--not conditions--not any material limitations, or psychic limitations either. We had every constituent of human happiness, sir--except the sense to use them. The channel of progress was obstructed with a deposit of prehistoric ideas. We choked up our children's minds with this mental refuse as we choked our rivers and harbors with material refuse, sir." Dr. Harkness still smiled. "Mr. Pike was in my class ten years ago," he observed amiably. "I always said he was the brightest young man I had. We are all very proud of Mr. Pike." Mr. Pike seemed not over pleased with this communication, and the old gentleman went on: "He is entirely right. Our idiotic ideas and theories were the main causes of poverty after all. The new views on economics--true social economics, not the 'dismal science'; with the blaze of the new religion to show what was right and wrong, and the sudden uprising of half the adult world--the new voters--to carry out the new ideas; these were what changed things! There you have it, Mr. Robertson, in a nutshell--rather a large nutshell, a pericarp, as it were--but I think that covers it." "We students used always to admire Dr. Harkness' power of easy generalization," said Mr. Pike, in a mild, subacid tone, "but if any ground of inquiry is left to you, Mr. Robertson, I could, perhaps, illuminate some special points." Dr. Harkness laughed in high good humor, and clapped his whilom pupil on the back. "You have the floor, Mr. Pike--I shall listen to you with edification." The young man looked a little ashamed of his small irony, and continued more genially: