Controlled Inflation

A Moral Tale

In a country where harvests were fickle and famine a constant danger, it was naturally a matter of honour for rich men to have well-fed wives. A well-populated seraglio demonstrated sufficient substance to satisfy a multitude; a well-fed one demonstrated sufficient wealth to throw away a portion upon the fleshly indulgences of the weaker sex.

There came another and most severe famine, which caused the bellies of the poor to bloat; and many rich husbands observed with interest that with proper dietary regulation their social status could be maintained at far less expense, and that honour need not necessarily be bought at the price of spoiling one's property.