The Gold Beetles: Their Food 



barbarities, continues to regard her as incom- 

 petent, as a minor. 



The abolition of slavery and the education 

 of women are two enormous strides upon the 

 path of moral progress. Our grand- 

 children will go further. They will see, 

 with a clear vision, capable of piercing every 

 obstacle, that war is the most absurd of our 

 eccentricities; that conquerors, fighters of 

 battles and despoilers of nations are exe- 

 crable scourges; that a hand-shake is better 

 than a rifle-bullet; that the happiest people 

 is not that which possesses the most artillery 

 but that which labours in peace and produces 

 abundantly; and that the amenities of ex- 

 istence do not positively clamour for fron- 

 tiers, beyond which the vexatious custom- 

 house-officer awaits us, searching our pockets 

 and plundering our luggage. 



They will see all this, our grandsons, and 

 many other wonders which to-day rank as 

 crazy dreams. Whither will it lead us, this 

 ascent? Towards the blue skies of the 

 ideal? To no very great height, I fear. 

 We are afflicted with an indelible taint, a 

 sort of original sin, if we may give the name 

 of sin to a state of affairs in which our free 

 will plays no part. We are built that way 

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