“From what you say,” said I, “it appears that the state has undertaken to take care of the race during their age of helplessness, from infancy to manhood.” “That is correct,” he answered, “the state takes the child as soon as it is weaned, sometimes before, and keeps and provides for it every day till it is prepared to be selfsupporting. Every one is taught a trade or a profession according to its bent and the demand for services in the several callings, it being the policy of the state to so regulate these things that the value of services is about the same in all callings.” “Then can a mechanic make as much as a doctor?” “About the same. As soon as any difference is observed, more are encouraged to enter the calling that tends to the higher pay, and so made to preserve the uniformity.” “Well, if the state begins when the child is weaned, to take care of it, why should it not begin before—a long time before in fact? For ante-natal influences are often of the most powerful kind; and when they are mischievous, no amount of subsequent education is able to neutralize or rectify them. That was all thought out in my day by the more advanced thinkers.” “O they have “maternity hospitals” and “Homes for Ladies” and all that sort of things—of course—but what you mean; not yet. That is still in the future—but we shall find it by and by in a way that will surprise you.” “Well it seems to me, to get even where they are they must have met and solved some rather difficult riddles,” said I. “For example in my day there was a desperate struggle between Protestants and Catholics in regard to the religious education of the children. The Catholics hated the public schools, because they were “godless.” They insisted on having their children brought up in their own faith. They wanted a share of the public money so they could have schools of their own and mix their catechism with the rules of grammar and the rule of three. How did they ever settle this difficulty—or did they settle it?”