CHAPTER X 



RACE 



THE usefulness of a spaniel depends, firstly, upon 

 its breed, secondly, upon the circumstances in 

 which it is reared, and, thirdly, upon the training 

 that it receives. Unless it is well-bred we do not 

 expect it to display the qualities of a good 

 spaniel ; but these qualities may be ruined by 

 over-feeding or by unhealthy surroundings, and 

 they need education for their development. So 

 with a people of mankind. Their behaviour 

 appears to be the result partly of racial pecu- 

 liarities, partly of the climate and surroundings 

 in which they live, and partly of culture that is 

 to say, partly of inborn instincts, partly of the 

 pressure of the environment, and partly of the 

 habits that are engendered by the social, ethical, 

 artistic, and religious ideas of the community. 

 Differences between one people and another may 

 all be traced to the effects of these three influences 

 Race, Environment, and Culture. The difficulty 

 is to allot national characteristics between them, 

 to decide which of them is responsible for any 

 particular trait. Few will deny that gipsies have 

 a character of their own, and that they preserve 

 some traits of this character in every country of 

 their adoption. It is then hardly affected by a 

 change of environment. It may be racial ; but 

 it may also be the result of culture of religious 

 and social ideas which have been preserved from 

 obliteration. To distinguish between the effects 



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