Morality 



The expression would be out of place here. 

 Animals have no morality. It is known to 

 man alone, who formulates it and improves 

 upon it gradually in the light of his con- 

 science, that sensitive mirror in which is con- 

 centrated all that is best within us. 



The advance of this improvement, the 

 loftiest of all, is extremely slow. Cain, the 

 first murderer, after slaying his brother, re- 

 flected a little, we are told. Was this re- 

 morse on his part? Apparently not, but 

 rather apprehension of a hand stronger than 

 his own. The fear of punishment to reward 

 the crime was the beginning of wisdom. 



And this fear was justified, for Cain's suc- 

 cessors were singularly skilled in the art of 

 constructing homicidal engines. After the 

 fist came the stick, the club, the stone thrown 

 by the sling. Progress brought the flint 

 arrow-head and ax and later the bronze 

 sword, the iron pike, the steel blade. Chem- 

 istry took a hand in the business and must be 

 awarded the palm for extermination. 

 In our own day, the wolves of Manchuria 

 could tell us what orgies of human flesh they 

 owe to improved explosives. 



What has the future in store for us? One 

 dares not think of it. Piling at the roots of 

 i6s 



