20 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



A Chapter of The Agassiz Association. (Incorporated 1892 and 1910.) 



of Law." 



"The Law of Love, Not the Lovt 



Is It Best to Be Merciful? 



No. it isn't. Note the form of the 

 question — "best." superlative, a choice 

 among many. yes. among all things. If 

 the question had been "better," compara- 

 tive — between mercy ami cruelty — then 

 most members of the human race have 

 advanced so far as not to hesitate in the 

 choice. Mercy is better than cruelty. 



But it is not the highest ideal. 

 "Mercy." the dictionary makers tell us, 

 is forbearance to inflict harm under cir- 

 cumstances of provocation, when one 

 has the power to inflict it." Consider 

 especially that word — forbearance : it 

 implies a tension like that of an ex- 

 tended elastic band. Its constant ten- 

 dency is to change its position. So for- 

 bearance implies that reason or will or 

 some out side influence has pulled the 

 man away from the normal state of 

 cruelty. Everytime a child or an adult 

 of kindly disposition is asked to be mer- 

 ciful or to join a Band of Mercy, his 

 kindness is insulted, and his personality 

 to a certain extent is degraded to the 

 level of mankind when it was emerging 

 from savagery, and when harmony with 

 the various forms of creation was a 

 rare or undeveloped virtue. 



In a popular drama, "The Dawn of 

 To-morrow," there is a character, repre- 

 senting the poverty stricken woman of 

 the slums of London, who boasts with 

 pride of her blackened eye and her 

 various bruises, inflicted by her husband, 

 as proof that she is respectable, a married 

 woman of good standing, with a mar- 

 riage certificate that gives her husband 

 the right to pound her. In such a state 

 of society from such a point of view. 



one can imagine that while her husband 

 might not grant her request for mercy, 

 yet he would probably not regard him- 

 self as insulted by such a request, simply 

 because it applied to the ordinary, ha- 

 bitual condition of the family affairs, 

 and to his habits of thought. 



But in most modern society, try a few 

 husbands by asking them to form 

 "Bands of Mercy to Wives;" request a 

 few to pledge themselves not to strike 

 their wives, to use their influence to in- 

 duce other husbands not to practice 

 the pugilistic art on their wives. These 

 husbands would doubtless refrain from 

 thus treating their wives, but not you ! 



But why the humorous incongruity? 

 Because modern society has advanced 

 beyond the days of savagery and above 

 the standards of the London slums. 



But what a sarcasm on the age, in re- 

 lation to other forms of life, when 

 "Bands of Mercy" still do not seem in- 

 congruous or even insulting. 



Again I insist that it is not best to be 

 merciful. Mercy savors of savagery 

 and low ideals. 



If the incongruity is not sufficiently 

 impressed upon you. beseech our Mr. 

 Butler to be merciful to his fantail 

 pigeons, argue with our Mr. Ellard that 

 he should not be cruel to his cavies and 

 rabbits, or try to induce our Mr. Coe to 

 have a kindly feeling for his shrubs and 

 trees ! 



But what, you inquire, do we want 

 you to do. Thus far. you may say, we 

 have argued negatively. 



YVe want more loving, enthusiastic 

 seeking for knowledge of nature in all 

 her forms — not more coaxings, or 



