740 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



toward a younger child still in need of its mother's help. This is al- 

 ready apparent in the lower races of mankind, but much more so among 

 the higher animals. Among these latter a mother will risk her life to 

 defend her young, but, when they are grown up, she does not care for 

 them in the least. 



Among uneducated people paternal affection is seldom very strong 

 toward an infant. Some culture of mind is necessary to realize all the 

 indirect benefits the father at first confers. But, when the direct influ- 

 ence becomes considerable, the paternal affection augments and may 

 assume a very great energy. Among animals paternal affection, I think, 

 exists only in those species in which the father assists the mother in 

 rearing and feeding the little ones, as, for instance, among birds. 



During the proscriptions of Marius and Sulla, there' were many sons 

 who out of fear gave up their father, but it was never known that a 

 father had denounced his son ; a fact that somewhat startled the Ro- 

 man moralists, who were unable to explain it. Upon my theory the ex- 

 planation is easy enough. In Roman society the son could confer no 

 benefit upon his father, and the mere feeling of gratitude for the bene- 

 fits received from the parent was not sufficient to counterbalance the 

 fear of the bloody edict. Filial affection can indeed become very 

 strong, but, whenever it does, it is easy to perceive that the parent has 

 in some way become dependent on the child has received benefits 

 from him. 



The relations between man and wife are such that the two are called 

 upon to complete one another that they have a fair opportunity of 

 conferring great benefits without a corresponding sacrifice or exertion. 

 The facilitv renders the feat all the more attractive, and strong affec- 

 tion follows upon it. 



That friendship is based upon numerous mutual benefits is a fact 

 daily seen. Prevent a friend from doing you good, impress him with 

 the idea that he is of no use to you, and his affection will cool. But 

 ask a man for little services he is ready to render, let him know and 

 keep in his mind that he has conferred a benefit upon you, and he will 

 like you all the more for it, become interested in your welfare, and 

 finally feel real devotion for you. I have never known the experiment 

 to fail. 



In public life those who receive the greatest benefits from the com- 

 munity are not the men most ready to make any sacrifice for the gen- 

 eral good. Patriotism, I think, is not exactly rampant in workhouses, 

 though the inmates owe everything they enjoy to the munificence of 

 the public. The pauper who has done no good to his country, who, on 

 the contrary, is a continual burden to it, feels no benevolence toward it. 



On the other hand, a man in the higher ranks often enters the 

 public service, either to earn in an easy way a sufficient income or out 

 of ambition, and in order to gain fame. If such a man by his energy 

 or by some distinctive talent becomes useful to the state, in most cases 



