those who have never let go of the older significance. No tradition will
be overthrown, no shock administered, and nobody will be able to croak
about iconoclasm and new-fangled notions and the sudden end of the
world, and so on.

* * * * *

The fancy of some people will at once run to the formation of a grand
international Society for the revivifying of Christmas by the
cultivation of goodwill, with branches in all the chief cities of Europe
and America, and headquarters--of course at the Hague; and committees
and subcommittees, and presidents and vice-presidents; and honorary
secretaries and secretaries paid; and quarterly and annual meetings, and
triennial congresses! And a literary organ or two! And a
badge--naturally a badge, designed by a famous artist in harmonious
tints!

* * * * *

But my fancy does not run at all in this direction. I am convinced that
we have already far too many societies for the furtherance of our ends.
To my mind, most societies with a moral aim are merely clumsy machines
for doing simple jobs with the maximum of friction, expense and
inefficiency. I should define the majority of these societies as a group
of persons each of whom expects the others to do something very
wonderful. Why create a society in order to help you to perform some act
which nobody can perform but yourself? No society can cultivate goodwill
in you. You might as well create a society for shaving or for saying
your prayers. And further, goodwill is far less a process of performing
acts than a process of thinking thoughts. To think, is it necessary to