An episode in the doings of the dualized

by Eveleen Laura Mason

“Franklin used to say ‘Time is money,’ but the point I make is, that time is value per se; so intrinsic in quality, so invariable in quantitative supply, that it is the natural medium of exchange for all the valuables precious to a morally sustained government of people, by and for people. But, though time is value, it is difficult to place an exact valuation on time without asking, Whose time? And that would seem like asking, Whose rain, whose air, and whose sunshine? Yet it is impossible to place an exact valuation on time without first getting an answer to the question, Whose time, whose services? For the value of a person’s services depends on the use which the servitor has theretofore made of his or her time. So here comes in the matter of personal ‘credits.’ So, in coming toward your question, Judge Elkhorn, concerning distinctions as to the way of ‘working and sharing,’ we might take it as an axiom in the morals of social economics, that the value of personal services, broadly considered, is measurable by the use which the servitor has heretofore made of his or her time. And as time is the medium of exchange, a person who has not theretofore made skilled use of his time, might wish to contribute more of it to help out the works of a person who has made great use of his time. This would only include that one day from many people would have to be given to execute the plans which another person might have potentially worked out in the hours of a vision-filled night, as these plans thus led the way into that which would advance the interests of all concerned. All this, American economists of two hundred years ago must have known; judging by the zeal with which, in the midst of their straightened circumstances, they held themselves to the business of developing the capacity of children (the born citizens of their ideal on-coming Republic). These true human-economists bound themselves to cultivate in humanity a capacity to utilize time. For the development in each little citizen of the capacity to well-use-time, enabled each such well-developed person to hold the other in well-poised personal liberty; while each chose for self such an order (or such orders) of personal service as makes each one to be of most value to himself and others.”

“Oh, oh, oh!” ejaculated the judge. “Who are the fellows who really did this? Name them, do, Miss Daksha.”

Ethel halted at this onslaught from the man who claimed to believe of everybody and everything only what his external senses revealed to him concerning them. Everybody laughed good-naturedly; and Ethel laughed with them at herself. For she knew there was a line between things, perceivable only to the inner senses and those perceptible to the outer senses. But she, like her father Daniel, was a dreamer who worked; and therefore took care to protect herself from seeming like a dreamer who lied, as she saw Elkhorn thought and meant to hint to her that she was. She felt what she said was truth, as to the interior aspirational thoughts which were held by many women and men, who, like Hawthorne, Emerson and others of earlier date, had philosophized, romanced and poetized over common-sense facts, and had thus enthroned them; till they now, at least, were lodged in the memories of men like Elkhorn, as entertaining fictions.

Luckily for Ethel she had a merry soul, as well as a philosophically religious one. And, too, she had the faculty of standing off at a distance from herself in a way that enabled her to see herself as others saw her. She was not self-conceited, though to others she seemed so. If she had been, her gift of seeing herself as others often saw her (so frequently was she misunderstood), would have many times a day taken down her self-conceit.

She saw the confusion in Elkhorn’s mind concerning her. She knew he was a stoical man, and had no power of imaging the unseen. He was like the men of that class which long ago sprung up and outlawed the poets, and repressed everything of that sort (music included, I believe); because these things, according to these realists (?) led to lies, and were lies. All this was in Ethel’s mind as she caught Daniel’s eye, and they both laughed out cheerily. For Daniel had often been called a —— (that name you know) and, too, he had been quite outlawed long ago by deacons, who called him a “rationalist.” And then when he patiently inquired if they would rather he should become “irrational,” he was churched for it. So when Ethel and Daniel had rung forth that swift chime of laughter, it had rung up memories of these things to the ears of all who heard it.

Her pleasantness and just estimate of others seemed to have cleared the atmosphere. And Judge Elkhorn said cordially, but a little quizzically, “Well, we’ll take all that on the strength of our faith in you, Miss Daksha. But go on, and take your time.”

“Yes, take your time,” said Robert, accenting significantly. “This is not half bad that you are saying, Ethel, but it is quite a fairy tale to everybody who is listening to you, you know.”

“On, on with the fairy story,” said Paul Palmer.

“I am talking to you about the realness of these men’s ideals; men like William Ellery Channing, Warren, Emerson, Thoreau and men of earlier and later date than either of these; men some of them who had the serious scholasticism which was held in the college of ‘Mary and William,’ of Baltimore. And I receive from them proofs that they had hold of the fact that the spiritual essence of the social economics of a self-governed people, was their goal; and that their idea of real social economics included a full,—a supernal evolution of national moral-power.

“These men and women of early and later date steadily put forth teachings which impressed the fact that, to the faithfulness of the individual conscience, the liberties of the race were committed. And so I legitimately conclude that national moral-power must now be evolved by persons who, with leisurely intelligence, apply themselves to dealing with the commodities of earth, air, sea and the spiritual substance of the universe as they engage themselves in graciously exchanging mutual services. America has such men and women, and needs many.