h　carved　wooden　garlands；　between　the　windows　on　opposite　sides　of　the　room；　and　had　put　a　clock；　in　a　case　of　tortoise　shell；　inlaid　with　copper；　upon　the　mantel…shelf。　The　doctor　seldom　occupied　the　salon；　its　atmosphere　was　damp　and　close；　like　that　of　a　room　that　is　always　kept　shut。　Memories　of　the　dead　cure　still　lingered　about　it；　the　peculiar　scent　of　his　tobacco　seemed　to　pervade　the　corner　by　the　hearth　where　he　had　been　wont　to　sit。　The　two　great　easy…chairs　were　symmetrically　arranged　on　either　side　of　the　fire；　which　had　not　been　lighted　since　the　time　of　M。　Gravier's　visit；　the　bright　flames　from　the　pine　logs　lighted　the　room。
  〃The　evenings　are　chilly　even　now；〃　said　Benassis；　〃it　is　pleasant　to　see　a　fire。〃
  Genestas　was　meditating。　He　was　beginning　to　understand　the　doctor's　indifference　to　his　every…day　surroundings。
  〃It　is　surprising　to　me；　sir；　that　you；　who　possess　real　public　spirit；　should　have　made　no　effort　to　enlighten　the　Government；　after　accomplishing　so　much。〃
  Benassis　began　to　laugh；　but　without　bitterness；　he　said；　rather　sadly：
  〃You　mean　that　I　should　draw　up　some　sort　of　memorial　on　various　ways　of　civilizing　France？　You　are　not　the　first　to　suggest　it；　sir；　M。　Gravier　has　forestalled　you。　Unluckily；　Governments　cannot　be　enlightened；　and　a　Government　which　regards　itself　as　a　diffuser　of　light　is　the　least　open　to　enlightenment。　What　we　have　done　for　our　canton；　every　mayor　ought；　of　course；　to　do　for　his；　the　magistrate　should　work　for　his　town；　the　sub…prefect　for　his　district；　the　prefect　for　the　department；　and　the　minister　for　France；　each　acting　in　his　own　sphere　of　interest。　For　the　few　miles　of　country　road　that　I　persuaded　our　people　to　make；　another　would　succeed　in　constructing　a　canal　or　a　highway；　and　for　my　encouragement　of　the　peasants'　trade　in　hats；　a　minister　would　emancipate　France　from　the　industrial　yoke　of　the　foreigner　by　encouraging　the　manufacture　of　clocks　in　different　places；　by　helping　to　bring　to　perfection　our　iron　and　steel；　our　tools　and　appliances；　or　by　bringing　silk　or　dyer's　woad　into　cultivation。
  〃In　commerce；　'encouragement；'　does　not　mean　protection。　A　really　wise　policy　should　aim　at　making　a　country　independent　of　foreign　supply；　but　this　should　be　effected　without　resorting　to　the　pitiful　shifts　of　customs　duties　and　prohibitions。　Industries　must　work　out　their　own　salvation；　competition　is　the　life　of　trade。　A　protected　industry　goes　to　sleep；　and　monopoly；　like　the　protective　tariff；　kills　it　outright。　The　country　upon　which　all　others　depend　for　their　supplies　will　be　the　land　which　will　promulgate　free　trade；　for　it　will　be　conscious　of　its　power　to　produce　its　manufactures　at　prices　lower　than　those　of　any　of　its　competitors。　France　is　in　a　better　position　to　attain　this　end　than　England；　for　France　alone　possesses　an　amount　of　territory　sufficiently　extensive　to　maintain　a　supply　of　agricultural　produce　at　prices　that　will　enable　the　worker　to　live　on　low　wages；　the　Administration　should　keep　this　end　in　view；　for　therein　lies　the　whole　modern　question。　I　have　not　devoted　my　life　to　this　study；　dear　sir；　I　found　my　work　by　accident；　and　late　in　the　day。　Such　simple　things　as　these　are　too　slight；　moreover；　to　build　into　a　system；　there　is　nothing　wonderful　about　them；　they　do　not　lend　themselves　to　theories；　it　is　their　misfortune　to　be　merely　practically　useful。　And　then　work　cannot　be　done　quickly。　The　man　who　means　to　succeed　in　these　ways　must　daily　look　to　find　within　himself　the　stock　of　courage　needed　for　the　day；　a　courage　in　reality　of　the　rarest　kind；　though　it　does　not　seem　hard　to　practise；　and　meets　with　little　recognitionthe　courage　of　the　schoolmaster；　who　must　say　the　same　things　over　and　over　again。　We　all　honor　the　man　who　has　shed　his　blood　on　the　battlefield；　as　you　have　done；　but　we　ridicule　this　other　whose　life…　fire　is　slowly　consumed　in　repeating　the　same　words　to　children　of　the　same　age。　There　is　no　attraction　for　any　of　us　in　obscure　well…doing。　We　know　nothing　of　the　civic　virtue　that　led　the　great　men　of　ancient　times　to　serve　their　country　in　the　lowest　rank　whenever　they　did　not　command。　Our　age　is　afflicted　with　a　disease　that　makes　each　of　us　seek　to　rise　above　his　fellows；　and　there　are　more　saints　than　shrines　among　us。
  〃This　is　how　it　has　come　to　pass。　The　monarchy　fell；　and　we　lost　Honor；　Christian　Virtue　faded　with　the　religion　of　our　forefathers；　and　our　own　ineffectual　attempts　at　government　have　destroyed　Patriotism。　Ideas　can　never　utterly　perish；　so　these　beliefs　linger　on　in　our　midst；　but　they　do　not　influence　the　great　mass　of　the　people；　and　Society　has　no　support　but　Egoism。　Every　individual　believes　in　himself。　For　us　the　future　means　egoism；　further　than　that　we　cannot　see。　The　great　man　who　shall　save　us　from　the　shipwreck　which　is　imminent　will　no　doubt　avail　himself　of　individualism　when　he　makes　a　nation　of　us　once　more；　but　until　this　regeneration　comes；　we　bide　our　time　in　a　materialistic　and　utilitarian　age。　Utilitarianismto　this　conclusion　we　have　come。　We　are　all　rated；　not　at　our　just　worth；　but　according　to　our　social　importance。　People　will　scarcely　look　at　an　energetic　man　if　he　is　in　shirt…sleeves。　The　Government　itself　is　pervaded　by　this　idea。　A　minister　sends　a　paltry　medal　to　a　sailor　who　has　saved　a　dozen　lives　at　the　risk　of　his　own；　while　the　deputy　who　sells　his　vote　to　those　in　power　receives　the　Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。
  〃Woe　to　a　people　made　up　of　such　men　as　these！　For　nations；　like　men；　owe　all　the　strength　and　vitality　that　is　in　them　to　noble　thoughts　and　aspirations；　and　men's　feelings　shape　their　faith。　But　when　self…　interest　has　taken　the　place　of　faith　and　each　one　of　us　thinks　only　of　himself；　and　believes　in　himself　alone；　how　can　you　expect　to　find　among　us　much　of　that　civil　courage　whose　very　essence　consists　in　self…renunciation？　The　same　principle　underlies　both　military　and　civil　courage；　although　you　soldiers　are　called　upon　to　yield　your　lives　up　once　and　for　all；　while　ours　are　given　slowly　drop　by　drop；　and　the　battle　is　the　same　for　both；　although　it　takes　different　forms。
  〃The　man　who　would　fain　civilize　the　lowliest　spot　on　earth　needs　something　besides　wealth　for　the　task。　Knowledge　is　still　more　necessary；　and　knowledge；　and　patriotism；　and　integrity　are　worthless　unless　they　are　accompanied　by　a　firm　determination　on　his　part　to　set　his　own　personal　interests　completely　aside；　and　to　devote　himself　to　a　social　idea。　France；　no　doubt；　possesses　more　than　one　well…educated　man　and　more　than　one　patriot　in　every　commune；　but　I　am　fully　persuaded　that　not　every　canton　can　produce　a　man　who　to　these　valuable　qualifications　unites　the　unflagging　will　and　pertinacity　with　which　a　blacksmith　hammers　out　iron。
  〃The　Destroyer　and　the　Builder　are　two　manifestations　of　Will；　the　one　prepares　the　way；　and　the　other　accomplishes　the　work；　the　first　appears　in　the　guise　of　a　spirit　of　evil；　and　the　second　seems　like　the　spirit　of　good。　Glory　falls　to　the　Destroyer；　while　the　Builder　is　forgotten；　for　evil　makes　a　noise　in　the　world　that　rouses　little　souls　to　admiration；　while　good　deeds　are　slow　to　make　themselves　heard。　Self…love　leads　us　to　prefer　the　more　conspicuous　part。　If　it　should　happen　that　any　public　work　is　undertaken　without　an　interested　motive；　it　will　only　be　by　accident；　until　the　day　when　education　has　changed　our　ways　of　regarding　things　in　France。
  〃Yet　suppose　that　this　change　had　come　to　pass；　and　that　all　of　us　were　public…spirited　citizens；　in　spite　of　our　comfortable　lives　among　trivialities；　should　we　not　be　in　a　fair　way　to　become　the　most　wearied；　wearisome；　and　unfortunate　race　of　philistines　under　the　sun？
  〃I　am　not　at　the　helm　of　State；　the　decision　of　great　questions　of　this　kind　is　not　within　my　province；　but；　setting　these　considerations　aside；　there　are　other　difficulties　in　the　way　of　laying　down　hard　and　fast　rules　as　to　government。　In　the　matter　of　civilization；　everything　is　relative。　Ideas　that　suit　one　country　admirably　are　fatal　in　anothermen's　minds　are　as　various　as　the　soils　of　the　globe。　If　we　have　so　often　been　ill　governed；　it　is　because　a　faculty　for　government；　like　taste；　is　the　outcome　of　a　very　rare　and　lofty　attitude　of　mind。　The　qualifications　for　the　work　are　found　in　a　natural　bent　of　the　soul　rather　than　in　the　possession　of　scientific　formulae。　No　one　need　fear；　however；　to　call　himself　a　statesman；　for　his　actions　and　motives　cannot　be　justly　estimated；　his　real　judges　are　far　away；　and　the　results　of　his　deeds　are　even　more　remote。　We　have　a　great　respect　here　in　France　for　men　of　ideasa　keen　intellect　exerts　a　great　attraction　for　us；　but　ideas　are　of　little　value　where　a　resolute　will　is　the　one　thing　needful。　Administration；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　does　not　consist　in　forcing　more　or　less　wise　methods　and　ideas　upon　the　great　mass　of　the　nation；　but　in　giving　to　the　ideas；　good　or　bad；　that　they　already　possess　a　practical　turn　which　will　make　them　conduce　to　the　general　welfare　of　the　State。　If　old…　established　prejudices　and　customs　bring　a　country　into　a　bad　way；　the　people　will　renounce　their　errors　of　their　own　accord。　Are　not　losses　the　result　of　economical　errors　of