“No, indeed. They are those who cannot provide for themselves; they have no means and cannot work, or else cannot get work to do. We have places where they can stay and be helped for a time, or until they can help themselves.”
“I see. I suppose the organism maintains these homes?”
“Well, some of them—yes. But not most of them by any means. They are supported by charitably disposed corpuscles who have been blessed by Providence with plenty, and who give of their abundance. We get a great deal of help from the tissues and corpuscles of the liver, who are rich and often liberal toward the poor.”
“Why do you have rich and poor corpuscles? Would it not be better to have all comfortable, than to have some with more than they can use, and others with nothing?”
“Oh, no, it takes all kinds of corpuscles to make up the organism, you know. It is good for the poor to have the rich to help them, and it is good for the rich that the poor need their help. Otherwise the rich might become proud and selfish, if they had not the sight of their needy brothers to keep their hearts tender, and prompt them to benevolence. They also do a great deal of good in keeping so many corpuscles employed in waiting upon them and supplying their needs.”
“But would not these corpuscles be better employed in supplying the needs of the whole organism?”
“Perhaps—only, do you not see, the other organs could not employ them all; they are not able to pay them.”
“But if the liver did not absorb so much of the general supply, would not the others have more and so be able to pay?”
“Oh, you do not understand the matter at all. We never can get rid of the poor. Our greatest Teacher has said: ‘The poor ye have with you always,’ and the fact remains to this day, as a proof of his infallible wisdom and divine inspiration.”
“He did not say you had to have the poor with you always, did he?”