136 THE HOUSE AND HIS EIDER. 



SINGEING. 



As it is incumbent on all civilized communities to be 

 kind to every living being, as our laws profess to main- 

 tain this Christian axiom, and as there exists among 

 us a Society self-constituted for the especial purpose of 

 " the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals," it would be very 

 difficult satisfactorily to explain, at least to them, why, 

 in violation of so benign a theory, we deliberately practise 

 the following fashions : 



1. Of cutting off all our sheep's tails. 



2. Of dittoing the tails of all dogs that take care of 

 sheep. 



3. Of dittoing the ears of terriers. 



4. Of dittoing a portion of the tails, and occasionally 

 of the ears, of our horses. 



5. Of piercing with a sharp awl the ears of all our 

 daughters, in order to insert therein golden rings, which, 

 by equalizing all, can confer no possible benefit on any 

 one : that is to say, provided Euclid is correct in declaring 

 that "when equals are added to equals, their sums are 

 equal." 



If any person among us defaces a statue, he is liable 

 to punishment and to the execration of the public ; and 



