336 Difficulties of Darwinisnt. [July, 
man” than any vertebrate animal, he would have com- 
manded assent. We should then have reminded him that 
Evolutionism is the only theory of the animal kingdom with 
which such fa¢ts harmonise. All other systems have found 
it a severe shock that mental development did not keep a 
parallel course with structural affinity. Place a white ball 
at the top of every twig of a large tree: the second highest 
ball will not necessarily be found on the same branch that 
supports the highest of all. Mr. Darwin-expressly declares 
that he does not consider man’s place to be on the same 
ascending line as that to which the gorilla and chimpanzee 
belong. The anonymous writer quoted commits the common 
mistake of confounding docility and subservience with intellect. 
Could we enter into as close relations with the ape as we do 
with the dog, we should find the former far superior in 
intellect. But, like the higher races of man, he is inde- 
pendent in character, and does not take kindly to slavery. 
A female ape will drive away the flies from her sleeping 
infant. If it dies, she will often fret herself to death. Does 
a bitch ever show such an approach to human nature? 
We have thus briefly glanced at a number of faéts which 
still remain isolated and unorganised, and of which we are 
scarcely more able to give a rational account than were our 
forerunners two centuries ago. Our survey has been far 
from exhaustive, its purpose being to furnish, not a cata- 
logue, but merely characteristic specimens. How, then, 
are such phenomena to be regarded? ‘To ascribe them to 
chance is, substantially, what ‘‘the fool hath said in his 
heart.” It may be asked why not simply refer them to the 
good pleasure of God, as did our fathers before us? We 
reply that it is equally irreverent and unphilosophical to 
conceive of the decrees of Absolute Reason as mere casual 
arrangements, based upon no fixed principles, and which 
might as well have been quite otherwise. Let us be sure 
that all these apparent anomalies are the outcome of laws 
—laws certainly difficult, and perhaps impossible, for us to 
comprehend. But it is at once our duty and our privilege 
to make the attempt. 
