THE EVOLUTION OF A MOTHER. 277 



child if the latter act like the run of offspring in lower 

 nature — spring off into independent life the moment 

 they are born ? If the Mother is to be taught to know 

 her progeny, surely the progeny also must be taught 

 not to abandon their Mother. And hence Nature had 

 to set about a somewhat novel task — to teach the 

 youth of the world the Fifth Commandment. Glance 

 once more over the Animal series and see how thor- 

 oughly she taught them the lesson. It is sometimes 

 said that Nature has no imperatives. In reality it is 

 all imperative. This Commandment was thrust upon 

 the early world under penalties for disobedience the 

 most exacting that could be devised — the threat of 

 death. Pick out a few children and inspect them. 

 Take one from the bottom of Nature, one from the 

 middle, and one from the top, and see if any progress 

 in filial duty is visible as we ascend. The first, — the 

 young of Aurelia will do, or a ciliated Infusorian, — 

 representing countless millions like itself, is the 

 Precocious Child. The moment this embryo is born 

 it leaves the domestic hearth ; the chances are it has 

 never seen its parents. If it has it disowns them on 

 the spot. A better swimmer in many cases — for many 

 of the parents have forgotten how to swim — it cannot 

 be overtaken. It ignores its Mother and despises her. 

 The second is the Good Intentioned Child. This child 

 — a bird, let us say — begins well, stays much at home 

 in the early days, but plays the prodigal towards the 

 close. For some weeks it remains quietly in the egg ; 

 for more weeks it remains — not quite so quietly — in 

 the nest ; and for more weeks still — but with an ob- 

 vious itching to be off — in the neighborhood of the 

 nest. This, nevertheless, is a good subject. It is 



