Proenvironment in the Evolution of Man 639 



family to cultivate — in Thoreau fashion — a patch that would 

 suffice for the individual or family needs. But — in Thoreau 

 fashion again — the lone effort became an irksome and unsat- 

 isfying one. So like Thoreau with his third chair for "com- 

 pany," an exchange of neighborly ideas, of field produce, of 

 fruits from the chase, became a proenvironed desire, and in 

 time a fulfilled response and pleasure. Those who practised 

 such acts helped each other, those who churlishly stood alone 

 were left alone in hour of need. 



So though families might be able under peculiar circum- 

 stances to live apart, in "Swiss Family Robinson" fashion, 

 proenvironal dreams of the benefits of help, of exchange, of 

 social defense, and even social offense against another foe, 

 gradually became accepted and acted laws of life. For in 

 the history of every nation it is true that the proenvironal 

 dreams and aspirations of today become the laws of tomorrow. 

 The Chartists who were hung in Edinburgh for their opinions 

 in 1848 might, if revivified now, correspond to the Unionist 

 or Liberal of today, so far as political and sociological creeds 

 are concerned. 



If then from such primitive beginnings of tribal community 

 in goods, or of gifting, as we have outlined above, we now 

 proceed to trace shortly the progress of human commerce, 

 it would often happen that the surplus riches of one individual 

 or family might be the desiderated articles of another, who 

 by proffering some needed goods in return would effect a barter. 

 So barter was and still is a means of social betterment in simple 

 communities. 



But the more adventurous and idealistic spirits — and they 

 are the human organisms that always start variation changes — 

 of one village, combining, in mental picture or compounded 

 resultant plan, all the mental stimuli that in past months or 

 years had excited their brain centers regarding the wealth 

 of some neighboring village community, might resolve on a 

 proenvironal action-response that took form as a bartering 

 journey. Such at first might be, and often was, more in the 

 nature of a raid or foray, but, gradually comparing the fruits 



