1 



with his own eyes the infliction of unnecessary suffering 

 on an animal, feels revolted, and even hastens to the 

 creature's aid ; yet the vast majority of these same men 

 and women, merely hearing or reading of sufferings 

 inflicted, passes by on the other side, with the feeling 

 that to pay attention would be either credulous or senti- 

 mental. Now, in regard to credulousness, it is worth 

 noting that it is hardly ever to the interest of anyone to 

 draw attention to cruelty, certainly not to fabricate such 

 a charge ; very much the contrary. And in regard to 

 sentiment, there seems to be a slight confusion as to the 

 meaning of that word. A man only moved by cruelty 

 seen with his own eyes is no wit less sentimental than the 

 man who takes fire at the mere recital of it ; he is only 

 lazier in mind, more deficient in understanding, more 

 sluggish in blood. Just as sentimental, but less sym- 

 pathetic. The longer I live, the more I become convinced 

 that people only use that favourite reproach — ^sentimental — 

 to stigmatize sympathy with sufferings that they themselves 

 have been unwilling or unable to realise. The moment 

 they do realize, they become just as " sentimental," just 

 as moved by pity and anger — for that is what the word 

 sentimental truly means — as those at whom they sneer. 



Let that be put into the pipe and smoked ! For this 

 sluggishness of our imaginations is the very heart of the 

 matter. 



Oh ! says the public, but even if there be suffering 

 to the animals, the pleasure that their freaks or their 

 luror their feathers give us is greater than this suffering; 

 we are entitled to weigh the one against the other. 

 Yet, not one-tenth of that same public would dream 

 of saying this if, with their own eyes, they had seen that 



