58 NATURAL SELECTION AND ETHICS. 



" Thou, O sea, stern mother of my soul." 



" Day by day the sunlight glittered on the vacant, 

 smiling seas." 



" The rushing, incurious billows." 

 Hut billows are neither cruel, stern, nor smiling. 



" Nature red in tooth and claw, 

 From scarped cliff and quarried stone. 

 She cries, a thousand types are gone. 

 I care for nothing, all shall go." 



Bounteous Nature 

 " Loves the grass green meadows, 

 The grazing kines sweet breath." 



" Her just keeping on the same, calmer than clock- 

 work, and not caring, 



Nor finding anything to blame, is worse than if she 

 took to swearing." 



Modern Pessimism. Failure to recognize perfect and 

 necessary justice of natural law, and that ethics 

 belongs to human reaction, itself a necessary law, but 

 separate. 



Law of Heredity. Repeats evil and good. The past 

 cannot let go of us, nor we of it. Conservatism in life. 



Law of Gravitation. Drowns a prophet or a rat. 

 Brings cosmic order. 



Law of Mutual Aid. Giving may cause or perpet- 

 uate misery as well as create strength. 



