Nature and Ctilttire 57 



in a good contrast. There is the wolf. Everybody 

 hates him. He is an outlaw and a robber, and they 

 all wish he were dead. The fo.x, whom we had to 

 rule out of our good society, is a cousin of the wolf, 

 and that was the reason. He does not belong to a 

 respectable family. Mr. Fox is one of the four 

 hundred. He pretends that his family is exclusive, 

 but it is just the other way. 



All animals which are not natural enemies help 

 each other. I will not mention well-known exam- 

 ples, but give a new one. I noticed a deer feeding 

 on the margin of a lake, and a loon floating out on 

 it. I approached so that I could not be seen or 

 scented by the deer, but could be seen by the loon, 

 who was guarding his mate, which was hatching her 

 eggs on the margin. He set up a wild clamor. 

 The deer was at once on the alert, ran up and down 

 the sand to discover the danger, then dashed up 

 hill, sounding his alarm. 



All these animals enjoy perfect health. There 

 are no measles, smallpox, cholera, diphtheria, or 

 pulmonary diseases among them. When that tre- 

 mendous thunder-storm and roaring rain was going 

 on the other night, we thought of them. A crash 

 of lightning close by must be startling to them, but 

 the rain does them no injury. They have all the 

 conditions of health. They are scrupulously clean 

 in person. From the tip of his horns to the edge 

 of his sharp hoof the stag is as pure as the most 

 scrupulous lady. 



