I think she was right—at first.
"Out with it!" said I. "Come—Have we adopted Socialism?" I braced myself for the answer.
"Socialism? Oh—why, yes. I think we did. But that was twenty years ago."
"And it didn't last? You've proved the impracticable folly of it? You've discarded it?"
I sat up straight, very eager.
"Why, no—" said Nellie. "It's very hard to put these new things into old words—We've got beyond it."
"Beyond Socialism! Not—not—Anarchy?"
"Oh, bless you, no; no indeed! We understand better what socialism meant, that's all. We have more, much more, than it ever asked; but we don't call it that."
I did not understand.
"It's like this," she said. "Suppose you had left a friend in the throes of a long, tempestuous' courtship, full of ardor, of keen joy, and keener anticipation. Then, returning, you say to your friend, 'Do you still have courtship?' And he says, 'Why no, I'm married.' It's not that he has discarded it, proved it's impracticable folly. He had to have it—he liked it—but he's got beyond it."