belonging to stages of civilization which we de- 

 spise. Sartor resartus! Shorn of our conven- 

 tional outer garb, what are we ? That is the ques- 

 tion we should put to ourselves. Let us by all 

 means do what we like and enjoy ourselves in any 

 of the conventional ways we please ; but let us not 

 arrogate to ourselves the pride of superiority be- 

 cause our habits of convention differ a little from 

 those of other classes and races. 



Talking of the weather recalls to my mind that 

 some years ago by the conditions of a postal con- 

 tract service with a great government, which shall 

 be nameless, the contractor was held responsible 

 for delays caused not only by failures or break- 

 downs of machinery and matters of possible hu- 

 man control, but also for stress of weather and 

 dense fogs, in which all locomotion became im- 

 possible. Of course, for adequate payment the 

 risk of penalties arising from even uncontrollable 

 causes might have been submitted to. But 

 though the remuneration was less than bare the 

 government remained immovable on the matter 

 of human responsibility for the weather and " acts 

 of God," and the obnoxious clause was not ex- 

 126 



