240 THE THRESHOLD OF EVOLUTION 



the results and harvest its products. It also necessitates 

 thought for the welfare of animals, and this causes a like 

 thought for the welfare of others. Hence although the town 

 community may have greater means of combination and co-part- 

 nership, which tend to evolve arts, science and invention, its 

 interests are more selfish, so the country element is the truest 

 representative of the thrift, honour, and religious sentiments 

 of the people owing to its closer contact with nature, which 

 tends to evolve these qualities, but also makes its devotees 

 less able to combine to produce the advancement of art, litera- 

 ture and commerce. For this reason country co-operation 

 must be more local and confined to a few individuals, whereas 

 in the town it is more universal and more general and uniform 

 and leads in the towns to a more pecuniary form af Charity. 



The highest perfection of charity is developed more in 

 the country than in the town that charity which is the charity 

 that Christ taught, and that gains God's rewards, that which 

 shows mercy in action, magnanimity to friend and foe alike, 

 and produces the highest principles of honour. Whereas the 

 Charity developed in town life is charity to friend, not to foe, 

 and partakes more of pleasure and pecuniary rather than per- 

 sonal sacrifice. Hence Energy, Thrift and Charity are the 

 characteristics of the agricultural community. The town or 

 distributing classes the commercial and manufacturing 

 classes stand for enterprise, invention and progress. But as 

 all these commercial ventures give a much more immediate 

 return and result, and are more the result of individual efforts 

 than those of agriculture, they produce greater powers of 

 mental development, more self-reliance, and hence more selfish- 

 ness than when men have to combine to fight the elements. 



Nothing produces our respect for God and the revela- 

 tions of nature more than close contact with nature itself and 

 its laws. The townsman is mainly dependant on his own 

 exertion, and receives immediate remuneration for his outlay 

 without being dependant on climatic agencies, and mutual ser- 

 vices, which causes increase his love of pleasure, selfish greed, 

 and so make him less inclined to be charitable in act if not in 

 cash. So the laws of a country under the predominance of 

 town management tend to diminish national patriotism, be- 

 cause town life narrows men's views in their mental scope and 

 makes for personal and class cliques and petty aims rather 



