188 VIGNETTES FROM NATURE. 



Addresses.' A donkey is a really pathetic 

 and sympathy-rousing figure in nature, 

 because, with all his hard blows and buffeting, 

 he retains to the last a brave cheery philo- 

 sophy which teaches him to take an optimistic 

 view of things whenever it is possible a 

 sort of monochronic hedonism under diffi- 

 culties that contrasts favourably with the 

 despondent Hartmannic theories of the 

 universe so much in favour with well-fed and 

 bushy-bearded German professors. Scho- 

 penhauer's demonstrations trouble him not : 

 Mr. Mallock's doubts as to the abstract 

 desirability of existence enter not into his 

 thoughtful pate : let him but loose from his 

 hard day's work to a dinner of herbs of the 

 toughest, and he forgets the pessimistic prob- 

 lem forthwith in the delights of freedom and 

 the exquisite pungency of his tuft of thistle 

 head. Shall we not strive to make life a little 

 easier in the future for such a patient, hard- 

 working, brave-hearted, indomitable little 

 philosopher as this ? 



