5 o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



study of political economy or social sustenance must be, or should be, 

 to promote the easy and ample sustenance of all, and not of some at 

 the expense of others. Hence we desire that human helpfulness shall 

 be not only effective but mutual. One-sided helpfulness is one of 

 the chief evils for which we seek a remedy. 



Yet we have to note carefully that the circumstance which makes 

 our mutual help most effective may make it one-sided. We want a 

 balance of mutual sustenance, while we help sustain one another, but 

 we also want amplitude. We want each to have a fair share, but it 

 may be that by some having more and some less than our estimate, or 

 any estimate of a " fair " share, all will have a larger share. We should 

 like it both fair and large. We can never have it either as fair or as 

 large as we should like it. Some will always get more help than they 

 give, and others give more than they get. And none will ever get as 

 much as he wants. 



We all agree that a proper balance of human helpfulness is desira- 

 ble. We can not help agreeing that its amplitude is also desirable. 

 The point whereon we may differ is the extent to which balance should 

 be subordinated to amplitude, or amplitude to balance that is, 

 whether poverty with equality is better than wealth with inequality, 

 the term " equality " signifying a share of sustenance to each in pro- 

 portion to his services, be they much or little. So far as balance begets 

 amplitude, we shall all agree theoretically, and be led by our greed to 

 disagree practically. Each of us will always be so anxious to be sure 

 of his share, that he will be willing to get a little more than his share. 



And in this we shall always be subject to deception by appearances, 

 as we are in all other matters. What seems to promise both abun- 

 dance and equality may in practice work both impoverishment and 

 inequality. Mastery of this deep and vital problem demands the ex- 

 ercise of every logical power at our command and the widest possible 

 scope of vision. 







ORIGIN OF COMETS AND METEORS. 



By EICHAED A. PEOCTOE. 



THERE appeared in these pages not long since a valuable essay, by 

 M. Daubr6e, on the structure of meteorites, and a little later a 

 very interesting paper by Professor Newton, of Yale College, in which 

 the general question of the origin of meteors, meteorites, and comets 

 was discussed, without any definite conclusion being indicated, except 

 that there are objections against all the various opinions which have 

 been expressed by Schiaparelli, Tschermak, Meunier, Daubree, and 

 others, respecting this very difficult subject. I should be glad if per- 

 mission could be accorded to me to bring before the readers of a 

 magazine, so high in scientific standing as "The Popular Science 



