More Beetles 



made great strides since then; in our time, a 

 more enlightened conscience compels us to 

 treat the wrong-doer with the same clemency 

 that we show to the mad Dog. We put an 

 end to his existence without any stupid re- 

 finements of cruelty. 



It even seems as though a day would come 

 when legal murder will disappear from our 

 codes: instead of killing the criminal, we 

 shall strive to cure his infirmity. We shall 

 fight the virus of crime as we fight that of 

 yellow fever or of the plague. But when 

 may we expect to see this absolute respect 

 for human life? Will it take hundreds and 

 thousands of years to come into being? 

 Possibly. Conscience is so slow in emerging 

 from its slough. 



Ever since there have been men on this 

 earth, morality has been far from saying its 

 last word even on the subject of the family, 

 that pre-eminently hallowed group. The 

 ancient paterfamilias is a despot in his own 

 house. He rules over his household as over 

 the herd in his demesne; he has rights of life 

 and death over his children, disposes of 

 them at will, barters them in exchange for 

 others, sells them into slavery, brings them 

 up for his own sake and not for theirs. 

 168 



