132 THE FOOL-KILLER AND HIS MISSION. 



Overdrafts in flush times versus overdrafts in hard 

 times. 



Not always wise to save either wealth, or strength, 

 or money. Relative value of different aims. Some 

 things better than long life to some people, sometimes. 

 But not often so to average man ; choice must be made 

 with our own consent ; not left to the fool-killer. " Ich 

 hab's gewagt mit Sinnen, un trag' dessnoch kein Reu." 

 - Hut-ten. 



We may spend our lives and strength knowingly 

 for others (and often others would be better served 

 had we saved them). We may be victims of heredi- 

 tary limitations. We may be victims of others, or of 

 untoward conditions. 



We all waste life, strength, money ignorantly or 

 uselessly and so carelessly or deliberately give our- 

 selves a lower place in the struggle for existence than 

 otherwise entitled to. 



" To be born without brains not in itself a crime, 

 but in a competitive civilization must be punished by 

 hard labor for life." 



Natural selection takes no account of native nor of 

 hereditary limitations. To be born without financial 

 sense a plea allowed neither by Nature nor our cred- 

 itors. Insanity and insolvency pleas not accepted in 

 court of Nature. 



Natural selection distinguished from fool-killing. 

 The latter takes account of what we might have been ; 

 records and punishes failure: (1) by reduction in 

 length of life ; (2) in enjoyment in life ; (3) in power 

 of activity ; (4) in usefulness of life ; (5) in perfection 

 of development. 



