THE REFORMER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2429, 3 October 1900, Page 69

THE REFORMER.

B? Eugexe Paul FoveauS,

Ofca there lived a philosopher who held the opinion that life should not be destroyed to sustain life. On this subject he wrote a work of 80 lengthy tomes, which you may believe or not, but which, in any case, clearly proved that to take advantage of the weak or the defenceless was the gospel of wild beasts.

One clay, when the good philosopher was wandering through the forest searching for strange herbs and hunting for quaint macts, he discovered a tiger devouring a deer. 3filled with hoKor, he climbed the nearest tree aiuT remonstrated with the tiger for his cruel and pitiless act. In -passionate language he pleaded the cause of the weak, and, at the Fame time, eloquently appealed to the tiger's reason, love ol life, and better nature in the hope that he might convert the beast to a higher and purer way of living. Now, as the tiger's hunger was more than appeased, he had no cause to be- either ferocious or unreasonable ; and so eloquently and to such effect that the good philosopher spoken that bitter remorse (combined with an overloaded stomach) caused the tears to come into the tiger's eye?. Elated at the success of his appeals, and now convinced that there lay dormant in all cieatures that better part which only required to be awakened to work a reformation for good,' the philosopher descended from his perch in the tree, and the tiger and he walked a-way together through the forest very companiouably. Continuing the conversation, the philosopher said unto the tiger : "And seeing that all living creatures have an eqiial light to live, although not all posFe=sed of an equal ability to protect that right, then in tha strong -should be cultivated forbearance, gentleness, kindness, and consideration, at all times protecting rather than destroying "But we have to ea,t," said the tiger, thinking that the philosopher, in his humanitarian enthusiasm., had possibly overlooked this important fact ; also as some slight mitigation for his misdeeds.

"True, true," said the philosopher, "I quite agree with you there. But could you not eat grass, and the wholesome herbs, roots, and fruits of the forest which are near at hand and in abundance, and which, moreover, are much more healthy than animal food. What think you?" "Oh, yes! I could cat grass at a pinch, and the fruits of the forest, which are in abundance. What more do I want? Truly, what more do I want?" quoth the tiger, with some relish of his h\e\Y and strange desire to be a better tiger, and believing in the dormant virtuoimiess of his heart by reason of his belly being so full of his late iniquity. So they journeyed along- very pleasantly, and with sweet conversation beguiled the way. Sometimes the philosopher would stop to make himself the possessor of s-ome strange variety of shrub, or species of insect, after which they would conti-me their journey. At nightfall their journeying had given them a splendid appetite. So they collected of the fruits of the forest and ate largely thereof. The philosopher made an excellent meal. After which, they both lay clown and slept. In the morning they had breakfast of the remainder of the fruits of the forest they had collected the night before. The philis-o-phcr made an excellent breakfast.

They renewed then journey. Now the tiger, notwithstanding that he had eaten largely ot the fruits of the forcpt in order to appease liis hunger, nevertheless? felt a vague amount of dinsatipf action, and this dissatisfaction increased just insomuch as he pprceived ho\y satisfactorily the philosopher partook of that which by no means could satisfy himself..

So they had not proceeded very far when the tiger began sniffing at the boots of the philosopher, "What are you doing?" asked the philosopher, stopping. "I was just looking at your boots," said the tiger casually, and they continued walking. They had nol proceeded much farther when the tiger began licking the trousers ol the philosopher. "What is the matter?" asked the philosopher, stopping. "Them's nice trousers," remarked the tiger, and they continued walking again.

They had not pioceeded vciy far when the tiger took hold of the philosopher's coat, and commenced tearing it. "I wish you would leave my clothes alone," said the philosopher somewhat irritably. "That's a good strong coat you have on," said the tiger, and they continued walking again. Shortly after, the tiger jumped up ar.d licked the philosopher's right cheek. "What do you mean?" asked the philosopher, drawing himself aw ay. "What a nice, soft skin you have," said the tiger. "ye?; but don't do it again. I don't like it," said the philosopher. And they continued walking again. Now, a;s the tiger felt extremely dissatisfied with what he had eaten, which lay heavy, on hi? stomach, co he began to get nasty, and got to picking fault with the good philosopher. They bad not proceeded very far when the tiger stopped, and said : "Man! why is it that, although you do not believe in taking away life, you nevertheless catch insects and pin or glue them in your scrap book, which I know truly to be so, because that I have sesn." The good philosopher coughed thoughtfully. "Ay! but in this case it is in the pursuit of knowledge." "And in my case it is in the cause of necessity," said the tiger. "Therefore I have greater reason than you for killing." "There is a difference," said the philosopher, trying to think of it. "There is no difference," said the tiger, who, having now a loophole for his conscience to crawl through hip past repolution, sprang at the philosopher and knocked him down. "What are you doing?" demanded the philosopher. "1 am hungry," said the tiger. "But the fruits of the forest?" protested the reformer. . "Agree with me not," said the tiger. "Besides, I am thirsty." "But there is a clear stream of beautiful, limpid water — — " "I prefer blood," said the tiger. "But you have not yet sufiiciently given the-n trial, in order to adapt your stomach to the' change " i _ "Man, you are so full of your philosophical •riddles that you have neither sense nor rea- ! son left. How I was deceived by you I know not. For lam but as God made me, and what lam I am. Therefore " The philosopher went inpide the tiger.

— At Cranborne, Dorset, a pair of tomtits have been nesting in the private letter-box of a farmhouse. Letters have been placed in the box, almost daily, without the birds being disturbed, and nine eggs have been laid and hatched. The same letter-box was utilised as a nest last year.