#28

“As the wind blows, so we suddenly organize charitable, philanthropic, and goodness only knows what other societies. The intention may be excellent, but nothing ever comes of it for all that. Perhaps it is because at the very beginning we suddenly feel satisfied and think that everything has already been done. For instance, after organizing some charitable society for the benefit of the poor and subscribing a considerable sum, we at once give a dinner to the prominent dignitaries of the town in honour of so laudable an undertaking and, needless to say, spend half of the subscribed funds on it; with what is left of the money we at once rent magnificent offices with heating facilities and porters for the members of the committee, and all that is left for the poor is five and a half roubles, and even over the distribution of this sum the members cannot agree and everyone keeps recommending some relation of his own” (id, 208).