xii FOREWORD 



there may be no descent afterward? Cer 

 tainly the last was the motive in the case of 

 the little boy who, dining out, was given a 

 piece of mince and one of custard pie. He 

 liked the mince best, therefore he saved it 

 until the last, and had just conscientiously 

 finished the custard when his beaming hostess 

 said: &quot;Oh, you like the custard best! Well, 

 dear, you need n t eat the other. Delia, bring 

 another plate for Henry and I ll give him 

 another piece of the custard pie.&quot; Pathetic! 

 Yet I confess my sympathy with Henry has 

 always been qualified by disapproval of his 

 methods, which, it seems to me, brought 

 down upon him an awful but not wholly 

 undeserved penalty. 



The incident is worth careful attention. 

 For life, I believe, is continually treating us 

 as that benevolent but misguided hostess 

 treated the incomprehensible Henry. If we 

 postpone our mince pie, it is often snatched 

 from us and we never get it at all. I knew a 

 youth once who habitually rode a bicycle that 

 was too small for him. He explained that he 

 continued to do this because then, when at 

 same future time he did have one that fitted 



