Darwinism 



successful. Nothing else was to be expected. At 

 every stage of the march the advancing host 

 spread out, seeking the right upward road. 

 Many promising roads led to impassable bar- 

 riers, or to the Sloughs of Despond or of Con- 

 tentment. A few blazed the upward way. It 

 was an expensive process, but it insured final 

 success. It would be difficult to discover a bet- 

 ter process under the conditions of the experi- 

 ment. 



The struggle for existence among animals is 

 severe, but it is not as harsh and cruel as the 

 struggle for wealth and comfort among men. 

 I The biological arena is far less cruel than Wall J 

 I Street. Mr. Darwin uses the phrase in a very 

 broad and often metaphorical sense. Animals 

 and plants struggle mostly with their physical 

 surroundings, cold and heat, rain or drouth, 

 with enemies and hardships of the most various 

 kinds. 



Young animals starting in life are like a host 

 of young men going out into the world to seek 

 their fortunes. Some of these young men fail 

 at the very start for lack of physical stamina 

 and endurance, or because utterly devoid of busi- 

 ness ability. Competition becomes sharp only 

 3 19 



