Xll. INTRODUCTORY MEMOIR 



man, became more than a sentiment it became a 

 passion with him, growing with his years and experi- 

 ences, and at last filling and dominating his life. By 

 nature one of the most kindly and gentle of men, he 

 could not understand harshness or cruelty in others, 

 particularly toward those defenceless creatures com- 

 mitted to our care. To him they were not merely 

 our inferiors or our slaves, they were our compan- 

 ions, our friends, devoting themselves to us, dependent 

 upon us for their lives and happiness, having feelings 

 and interests not unlike our own, suffering from injus- 

 tice, degraded by ill-treatment and brutality, respond- 

 ing to kindness and sympathy as human beings do. 

 The ethics of our relations to the lower animals have 

 seldom had more forcible and practical exposition than 

 from this humane and warm-hearted man. He talked 

 and wrote much on the subject, and simple deeds of 

 kindliness and mercy were part of his daily life. I 

 have seen him, as we picked our course through a 

 mass of teams and vehicles in a crowded city, his 

 attention attracted by a restive dray-horse whose 

 furious glance and vicious action no less than the 

 restraining muzzle evinced the tendencies of an evil 

 nature, making his way, not without difficulty, to 

 the horse's head, speaking to him in kind tones, and, 

 avoiding the lunges of the suspicious and dangerous 



