GROWING OLD 



235 



nothing would please him better than that it 

 should die at once when he pinches its head, and 

 come to pieces quietly of its own accord. But it 

 refuses to meet him even half-way in either of 

 these matters, and so the thrush is compelled to 

 disregard the feelings of the worm, in order to 

 obey Nature's peremptory orders that every animal 

 should be ready to do anything for the sake of its 

 young. May I say again that I wonder whether 

 you have as good a defence to make, if anyone 

 were to put you seriously at the bar of judgment ? 



I hope that this illustration will help you to 

 understand what I mean by * looking round the 

 corner.' I think that I might advise you to 

 cultivate the habit of seeing crooked, not only 

 with your eyes, but also with your mind ; or 

 perhaps we might put it in this way : ' never mind 

 the outside of an animal's coat, but try to peep 

 inside,' and then it may be that you will judge us 

 more fairly. If you learn to look at us in this way, 

 I feel sure that you will find that we possess a very 

 reasonable share of human nature, which is otir 

 test of merit. 



I gather that there are a great many men who 

 go about the world trying to prove that men are 

 very near of kin to the beasts, and they rake up all 



