286 TlMEHRI. 
and the wealthy classes have selected to dwell, so like 
wise are the poor — not indeed in their midst, but, like wild 
beasts that might injure them, they are hidden away 
lest perchance their very misery might offend the eyes of 
the affluent. Such is poverty that must not ask for alms • 
Such is poverty that must stretch the scanty garments 
across pinched and half starved limbs, lest their wretched- 
ness being too apparent they should be hurried away, and 
jostled out of the arena, where many so disguising their 
misery seek work however hard, however menial, or failing 
this, watch with eager eyes — often never gratified — to see 
if amidst the crowd of wealth flowing past them there 
might perchance be the one good Samaritan of their life 
time, who, stopping for a while, would anoint their 
wounds of poverty. Yes ! it is true such poverty is 
unknown here. The poor man here may parade his 
poverty, proclaim his hunger, select his work, and criticise 
his victuals. Yet with all this, poverty being but a 
relative term, he is poorest in his own estimation 
who never knew a poorer, and it is in such a sense that 
poverty exists amongst our rural population. None 
starve I assert, but many have to do without the means 
of procuring comforts, humble indeed, comparatively 
speaking ; in this they are poor ; and it is but sophistry 
to tell them that there are poorer elsewhere. The tooth- 
aerie is not abated by being informed that the stomach- 
ache is greater ! So we must admit the poor therefore 
into any system that would be available amongst the 
rural population in considering any question of medical 
aid for the latter. 
The questions that are about the most prominent in 
any such considerations are : — effectiveness, expense 
