Of course, little boys ought not to skin toads and carry
geological hammers and deceive learned professors of botany; I
know it is wrong. And of course caterpillars of the puss-moth
variety oughtn't to make faces at timid young thrushes. But it is
just these things which make such pleasant memories afterwards--
when professors and toads are departed, when the hammers lie
rusty in the coal cellar, and when the young thrushes are grown
up to be quite big birds. There are fortunate mortals who can
always comfort themselves with a clich‚. If any question arises
as to the moral value of Racing, whether in war-time or in peace-
time, they will murmur something about "improving the breed of
horses," and sleep afterwards with an easy conscience. To one who
considers how many millions of people are engaged upon this
important work, it is surprising that nothing more notable in the
way of a super-horse has as yet emerged; one would have expected
at least by this time something which combined the flying-powers
of the hawk with the diving-powers of the seal. No doubt this is
what the followers of the Colonel's Late Wire are aiming at, and
even if they have to borrow ten shillings from the till in the
good cause, they feel that possibly by means of that very ten
shillings Nature has approximated a little more closely to the
desired animal. Supporters of Hunting, again, will tell you,
speaking from inside knowledge, that "the fox likes it," and one
is left breathless at the thought of the altruism of the human
race, which will devote so much time and money to amusing a
small, bushy-tailed four-legged friend who might otherwise be
bored.
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