150 LOLA 



those weightier questions which- are of Cosmic 

 importance ? Does not Nature here fix man's eye with 

 her own gaze granting him new riches ? For rich, 

 indeed, is this gift that proves to him that not he alone 

 is dowered with a soul 1 nor dwelling in a world 

 destitute of thought, nay that his companion-beings 

 along life's highway are well able to respond to and 

 comprehend all his labour, his love, and his care for 

 them. And above all, should it teach him to more 

 clearly apprehend them doing so in the spirit of a 

 know-er and with a kindly sympathy begotten of that 

 knowledge. For To Know to Understand means 

 to give to each its rights ! And, in this matter, have 

 we to concede so much to our higher animals ? The 

 simplest form of thought contents them ; the child- 

 like adapting itself to animal uses ; and, from such 

 " small beginnings " has not our own primeval soul 

 the best that is within us risen to higher glory, to 

 become a moulder and organizer of thought even of 

 creative ideas ? Therefore, from all that wealth with 

 which we are dowered we may well allow this tiny 

 morsel to our animal friends they will assuredly 

 infringe no further upon our rights, for, after all, 

 they are dumb, and cannot even utter the small store 

 of thoughts they may learn to express ; they can only 

 look at us but, oh ! how well they can do that it 

 needs no more than our eyes to tell us ! And if we 

 review the entire animal kingdom, are not these 

 higher animals closely akin to us, both in bodily 

 structure as also in all that appertains to their func- 

 tional activities ? So near, indeed, do they approach 

 us in the degree of evolution that for that very reason 

 it would seem natural to attribute to them some 

 rudiments of thought some latent abilities ; but the 



1 See the Song of Solomon. 



