THE MORAL ''ISOTHERMAL." 69 



after all, that mainly iuHuences men to obey civil lawsV" 

 asked the Professor; " and do you imagine, for a moment, 

 that laws would be generally obeyed if the pimishments of 

 their infraction were removed? " 



"That is for the philosopher and not the lawyer to 

 answer," replied the Neophj^te. "However, it is apparent 

 to any one but a dull observer, that criminal laws and their 

 penalties realh' influence onlj' the smaller portion of civil- 

 ized mankind ; but the line of demarcation, properl}' drawn, 

 would be as great a curiositj^ as an isothermal line across 

 the continent. Station, rank, wealth or povert \% education 

 or ignorance, in themselves do not lix the line, — it sweeps 

 high, it sweeps low, it runs strangely, to human eyes, — but 

 it runs by a law as clear to the Mind which can see the man 

 that is hid in the body, as the isothermal line is to the wise 

 student of nature. It goes by character, — and character 

 isn't reputation or position. " 



The pipes were all empty. The breakfast dishes having 

 been cleared up, and affairs at camp tidied up in general, 

 the guides savmtered down to the I'ocks where we sat. 



"Well, what next?" said the Captain. "From my 

 small text about not going a-fishing, jou men of words have 

 spun a rather lengthy sermon, — enough for to day, I guess." 



" I propose," said Benson, "that we take a row around 

 the lake. It's better than sitting here — the Professor may 

 break loose next. To avoid all criticism, I'll suggest that 

 the guides do all the rowing, and that we reduce the 

 number of oar-strokes from a himdred and lift}' to — say — 



