GROWING OLD 



and aim a bit in front, so that the merciful blow 

 may fall upon my head. I die easily, thank good- 

 ness, and waste no time in squirming and wriggling 

 — no hugging of the last remnants of breath for me 

 in order to make a few appropriate remarks before 

 I quit the stage. 



When you set traps, visit them often. I have 

 known rats left to linger in those hopeless wire 

 cages for two days, just because the man who set 

 them was too careless to come and see whether he 

 had caught anything. I have told you that kindly 

 Nature is always at hand to administer a drop of 

 chloroform to her creatures in distress, but do not 

 venture to presume on the fact. The power of the 

 medicine may fade away and the pain come back if 

 the time of agony is too greatly prolonged, and, who- 

 ever it be that keeps a record of these things, rest 

 assured that the blame thereof is entered to your 

 account, for no man may inflict needless suffering 

 on any creature and yet be held blameless. 



I believe that I have one or too scraps of in- 

 formation to offer to you before we part. I always 

 did like scraps myself much better than gnawing 

 at a big joint, and I hope that you will agree with 

 me, for if you do not, I am afraid that you will 

 not find a great deal of information in this chapter — 



