MONEY AND THE KINGDOM. 237 



shall make none for yourself. You shall make nothing 

 but lace and roses for me ; for this fortnight to come, 

 you shall work at the patterns and petals, and then I 

 will crush and consume them away in an hour.' . . . 

 As long as there are cold and nakedness in the land 

 around you, so long there can be no question at all but 

 that splendor of dress is a crime. In due time when we 

 have nothing better to set people to work at, it may be 

 right to let them make lace and cut jewels ; but, as long 

 as there are any Avho ha^;e no blankets for their beds, 

 and no rags for their bodies, so long it is blanket-making 

 and tailoring we must set people to work at — not lace. " ^ 

 These principles which Mr. Ruskin applies to splendor 

 of dress are equally applicable to all luxuries, and are 

 an answer to all those self-deceivers who excuse their 

 selfish expenditures on the ground that they give work 

 to persons needing it. "Many hold that an enormous 

 expenditure of wealth is highly commendable, because 

 it 'makes trade.' They forget that waste is not wealth- 

 making; war, fire, the sinking of a ship also 'make 

 trade,' because by destroying existing capital they 

 increase demand. The wealth thus wasted would, more 

 wisely used, give work to many more people in creating 

 more wealth. "2 



Again, the advocates or excusers of self-indulgence 

 pose as the vindicators of God's love. They tell us that 

 he gave all good things for the uses of his children, and 

 that he rejoices in their delight. Yes ; God is even 

 more benevolent than such suppose. So greatly does he 

 desire our joy that he is not content to see us satisfied 

 with the low delights of self-gratification, but would 

 fain have us know the blessedness of self-sacrifice for 

 others. The writer has no sympathy with asceticism. 

 There is no virtue in deformity ; good taste is not 

 unchristian; beauty often costs no more than ugliness. 

 Away with the idea of penance. It belies God, and 



1 True and Beautiful, pp. 421, 422. 



a Economic Tract No. X. Of Work and Wealth, by R. R. BoAvker. 



