CHAPTER XV.
On being introduced to John Saville’s home, I found a great deal more of simple solid comfort than I had expected, and such an air of domesticity as my own residence in the college had led me to suppose altogether absent from New Amazonian dwellings. At my own request, my visit was of the most informal kind, and not another stranger was there here to disturb the cosiness of the quiet chat which I wished to enjoy.
Mrs. Saville was possessed of the bright brown hair, clear rosy skin, and deep grey eyes, so indicative of pure Irish descent, coupled with a grace and charm of manner I had never seen equalled by an Englishwoman of similar age. Mr. Saville also struck me as just a likely sort of man to be the father of such a clever, popular son. It was clear that they both doted upon him, and just as clear that he would have been sorry to do anything likely to cause them grief.
But they did not treat me to a long category of each other’s virtues, preferring to let me form my own opinion of them as individuals, while they did their best to initiate me into the ways of New Amazonian domestic life. Their house consisted of a suite of rooms in a large block of buildings in one of the best parts of Andersonia, and was fitted with even convenience which would conduce to ease and comfort.
The furniture was ideally suitable, good, and elegant, but the pictures on the walls, like many others which I had seen lately, amused me not a little. It seemed to me at first that they were all out of perspective, and that neither walking biped, running quadruped, nor flying bird was painted aright. By-and-bye, however, I got more used to these pictorial oddities, and caught myself thinking that when I got home again, I should be wanting to introduce some of these Muybridgeian notions into my own rooms.
The fire cast a comfortable glow on all around, making it difficult to believe that the problem of fuel for the future was now definitely settled, and that electricity could now and henceforth be made to supply the necessary fuel for warming, lighting, cooking, and manufacturing purposes. No dirt or dust from ashes, and no discoloration as the result of burning gas was here felt, for neither theone nor the other were now in use. Both had served humanity well in their day. Both were now superseded by a much more efficient, cleanly, and convenient agent.
After our very appetising evening meal had been despatched; I was taken on a tour of inspection round the building, or, rather, round such parts of it as were public to all the tenants. The basement consisted entirely of shops, which were connected by means of telephones with every suite in the block, and could, with the aid of electric lifts, supply anything ordered per telephone at a moment’s notice. Nor was there any fear of extortionate charges, or a poor sample of goods, since everything had to be priced according to the day’s Government scale, and the daily visits of Government inspectors ensured the withdrawal of inferior or unwholesome articles.
While conversing on telephonic subjects, I mentioned that even in my benighted country we had made good use of this valuable invention. “There are even telephones attached to churches and theatres,” I said, “by means of which a sermon or a song may be heard at great distances from the places in which they are delivered. But of course you have even improved upon these notions?”
“I think we have,” smiled Mrs. Saville. “Some hundreds of years ago there was hardly a building in New Amazonia which was not a perfect network of telephones and patent lifts, and our people began to give the Mother considerable anxiety, for they showed rapid signs of deterioration. On looking round for the causes of this unfortunate falling back, it was found to be produced by the mania for saving labour and exercise of every possible sort, and drastic measures were speedily introduced.
“Many of the lifts were abolished, and substantial staircases erected in their stead, up and down which the people were expected to walk when going in or out. The goodslifts were, however, not considered too provocative of laziness and inactivity, and still remain very useful adjuncts to civilization.
“The telephone system, though disapproved of by the Mother, did not require quite such stringent measures to make it almost a thing of the past, so far as mere amusement is concerned.
“When it first became possible to hear a concert or lecture without being compelled to leave one’s own house, everybody went in for this sort of spiritless amusement. But it soon palled upon the people, for there is no comparison between such a namby-pamby apology for social enjoyment, and the pleasure to be derived from sitting within sight of the speakers or musicians, and taking in their general appearance, gestures, and accessories. Curiosity will always be one of the strongest elements in human composition, and no social pleasure is perfect which does not permit the eyes to aid the ears in their appreciation of the fare offered to them. When, therefore, the novelty of telephonic entertainments was over, the people tired of them, and hardly cared to listen to the amusing or instructive sounds they had paid their money to ensure. And when, a few years later, the Government imposed a tax upon the use of all telephones not of a strictly useful or business nature, thecoup de grâcewas given to the stay-at-home-and-enjoy-the-concert-at-your-ease system, and we have never reverted to it since.”
After that, I thought, I will be careful about boasting of English progress, since what we deem the summit of luxurious ease is here looked upon as the babyhood of true civilization.
“And did the reforms you mention produce the results which Government aimed at?” I enquired aloud.
“Yes,” was the reply. “Bodily health and strengthdepend in great measure upon a rational exercise of our physical capabilities. The more exercise of a reasonable nature we take, the stronger and the more capable of work and enjoyment are we. The more we give way to indolence, and yield to the temptation to stay indoors, the more demoralized and unfit for the daily duties of life do we become. To encourage anything that produces physical deterioration is to retard our chances of attaining spiritual perfection, and is too dear a price to pay for such unsatisfactory results.”
While talking, we were making due progress in our investigations, and by this time had come to a part of the building which filled me with admiring wonder. A large brass plate affixed to a massive door informed me that these were the premises of the Domestic Aid Society. On touching an electric bell, the door opened, and showed us a spacious vestibule, at one side of which was situated the office of the check-clerk, whose vocation it was to keep a strict account of all comings and goings, and register the orders and commissions which were constantly coming in per telephone from different parts of this and other buildings in the city.
This, it seemed, was visitors’ day, and we proceeded to inspect the Domestic Aid Society’s premises at our leisure. The first room we entered was a working hall, in which members of both sexes were busily engaged in fashioning various articles for personal and household use. It was a species of dressmaking, millinery, tailoring, and plain sewing establishment all rolled into one.
The room was comfortably and artistically furnished. The presses for storing materials and work were elaborately carved, and pleasant to look upon. The light, warmth, and ventilation were all perfect, and I could not help thinking how delighted a London worker would be, ifprivileged to labour in such pleasant quarters. No wonder everybody looked happy and healthy here, since even the most humble in the land were ensured perfect sanitary surroundings, and limited hours of work.
Another room that pleased me exceedingly was the cookery. Here, for the benefit of those who preferred to order their supplies ready for the table, every branch of the culinary art was in progress, from the making of plain bread to the concoction of the most delicate dainties. The walls of the cookery were covered with white tiles; the floor was white, the tables were immaculate, and the cooks and confectioners were spotlessly neat and clean.
There was neither fuss, heat, nor discomfort, as is the case in England when a great deal of cooking has to be done, for the work was done systematically, and the greatest pains had been taken to make all the conditions of labour as pleasant as possible.
Our next visit was made to the laundry, and it was a treat to see how science had been brought to bear upon the solution of the greatest problem which my own countrywomen are beset with, viz., how to minimise the labour and discomfort which with us so invariably attend washing days. From beginning to end, nearly every laundry operation was conducted by means of noiseless electric machinery, manipulated by skilled workpeople who knew their work to be quite as valuable, and much more necessary, than the productions of those who followed the purely ornamental arts.
In response to my questions on the subject, Mrs. Saville gave me the following information:—
“The Domestic Aid Society is one of the most popular of all New Amazonian institutions, and there are establishments of this sort all over the country. They are generally the property of private individuals, but are strictlysubjected to State supervision and regulation. The books are kept with the utmost exactness, and there is never any difficulty in apportioning the share of profit which is due to the Mother. The workpeople, no matter in what department they may be, are all, with the exception of the supervisors and learners, paid on the same scale. This enables our people to make their choice of a vocation in favour of the employment they fancy most, without financial or social reasons requiring to be taken into consideration, since both pay and position are equal. The hours are from seven in the morning until five at night, with intervals for meals. All work out of these hours is paid for on a special scale. Besides the specialists whom you have seen, there are many people employed by the Domestic Aid Societies. We charter for servants by the day, week, or month, who come at the time agreed upon and discharge any household duties which we may wish to entrust to them. Messengers are also supplied for a trifling commission. Our domestic work is always well done, for the assistants are trained by the State, and are interested in securing our goodwill, as a bonus is attached to the successful completion of a lengthened term of service in one household. It is not often that we wish our assistants to be changed, for the very fact of knowing that we have only to telephone to the office to effect any change we desire, does away with the irascibility so often engendered by the ancient system of engaging servants for long periods, and being compelled to find sleeping accommodation for them. We are not, however, in any case, addicted to finding unnecessary faults in our assistants, for all our complaints are registered, and if it is found that we are exceptionally bad to please, we have to pay a slightly augmented tariff by way of atoning for our unpleasant peculiarities.”
“And how do these domestic helps employ their time when not on active duty? And what is their relative position as compared with skilled workpeople? Is their work regarded as inferior?”
“By no means. Domestic assistants occupy a very honourable position in our social economy, for they, like others, have to go through a careful course of training, and fulfil very important duties. Their scale of pay is good, and it is by no means difficult for them to purchase a State-Coupon, if they are thrifty. Their spare time is employed in consonance with their own inclinations. There is a fine recreation hall attached to every Domestic Agency in the country. In these our working classes can enjoy themselves to their heart’s content, by means of social converse, music, reading, dancing, or games of skill.”
“This question of working classesversuseducated classes is a very potent one with us. Class prejudice is strong, and our aristocracy would not submit to associate with artisans or domestic assistants on such equal terms as is habitual with you, unless, indeed, one of them were to succeed to a fortune, and then all her or his vulgarities and shortcoming would find plenty of consideration. How do you account for the superior element of sociality in your country?”
“Easily. We are all educated on the same footing. Some of us develop literary, artistic, or scientific instincts early in life, and speedily find our vocation. Others whose full brain powers are not yet developed, or who are diffident of their own ability to adopt one of the higher professions, choose a mechanical training, and discover afterwards that they have missed theirforte. Nothing daunted, they employ their leisure in retrieving lost ground, and while possibly serving in the capacity of domestic help, may be qualifying for classical or surgicalexaminations, and may even at some distant date be privileged to become Leaders. We respect mental and moral greatness, even if in embryo, and never object to society that is pleasant in itself.”
“What a paradisaical state of things,” I sighed, fervently. “You can do nothing in my country without plenty of money, and, for the matter of that, how do your erstwhile inferiorities succeed in reaching positions of eminence, seeing that they must have heavy examination fees to pay, for which the adequate amount can hardly be saved out of working class wages? Or does the State provide examiners free of charge?”
“No. Our examiners, as you may easily suppose, are very responsible, and, therefore, very well-paid officials. But they are not a source of expense to the Government, because the scale of examination fees is such as to leave a substantial margin of State profit. Want of funds is never an obstacle to progress here, for candidates for examination are permitted to pay the fees from their future earnings.”
“And suppose they were inclined to forget the repayment part of the business, what then?”
At this question, my hearers looked so astounded that I felt painfully conscious of having committed a huge blunder, the nature of which was soon made evident to me by the reply I received. “You must really come from a very strange country,” said John Saville, fortunately for my composure, in the pleasantest of tones, “for such a question to be possible to you. The individual who could thus think of cheating would not be a New Amazonian. But, even if this were so, the Mother has the remedy in her own hands. She would withhold the pension to which we are all honourably entitled in old age.”
“As you imply,” I responded deprecatively, “my peopleare not like your people, so you must excuse the ignorance which prompted what is evidently an offensive question. I wish I could say as much for English national morality as you can for yours. But it is a painful fact that fully one-half of the English race subsists upon the results of the crimes or follies of the other half. I prefer, however, to talk of local topics, and learn all I can of your social system while I have the opportunity. You will, therefore, I hope, not consider me very troublesome, if I ask yet another question or two.”
“We shall be only too happy to afford you any assistance in our power,” replied Mr. Saville.
“Then,” I said, “can you tell me how a large business, say, a Domestic Aid Agency, would fare, if the business done were inadequate, or the capital subscribed too small? Would the proprietors become bankrupt, or would the Mother help them out of their difficulties?”
“Bankruptcy is, I believe, an obsolete term, implying that the subject of it has contracted debts which she or he does not intend to pay. Such things do not occur here. If we order a thing, and reap the benefit of it, nothing but death itself exonerates us from ultimate payment. If a business is not prospering, application is usually made to the proper authorities to institute an investigation and assist us out of our difficulties. Should it prove that our incapacity is at the root of the evil, we are advised to adopt some less onerous mode of earning a livelihood, and our proportion of the liabilities is discharged by the State, and accredited to us for future repayment. If, however, mere lack of capital is cramping our operations, the State supplies the necessary impetus, and constitutes itself an active partner, by purchasing as many shares as will float the business financially, and by appointing a Government agent to assist in the management. In fact, there is not abusiness of any magnitude in the land in which the Mother is not a partner, and, in addition, she of course takes the percentage of the profits, which in other countries is raised unjustly and unequally by means of clumsily imposed taxes.”
“As with us, in fact.”
“Is this so? I must know a little more of this very-much-behind-the-times country of yours, which you call England. England, as known to us, ceased to exist centuries ago, and yet you have spoken of living in the vicinity of the home of George Stephenson. How this can be, I cannot understand. We know that when he lived, the neighbouring island, now called Teuto-Scotland, was called England. But we also know that hundreds of years are supposed to have passed since the last vestige of Stephenson’s Northumbrian home was destroyed. How do you explain such anomalies?”
So spoke Mr. Saville, and the rest of our conversation consisted of explanations and descriptions on my own part which proved intensely interesting to the Saville family, but which would sound so much like an oft-told tale to my readers, that I refrain from inflicting it upon them.