ls on the bench or the
ground; he strews the floor with papers; he throws his books all over
the room. Now O'Neill's school was not untidy, and I marvelled.

"Oh, the kiddies look after that," he explained. "They have voluntary
workers among themselves who do all that, and if a child does not do
his job, the others naturally complain: 'Why did you take it on if you
aren't going to do it properly?'"

But somehow I am not convinced; I want to know more about this
business. To find so highly developed a social sense in small children
runs dead against all my experience. I must write to O'Neill for
further information.

* * * * *

On re-reading the pages of this book I feel like throwing it on the
fire. I find myself disagreeing with the statements I made a few weeks
ago. When I began to write it I was a more or less complete Freudian,
and in an airy fashion I explained away my actions. Why should pale
blue be my favourite colour? I asked myself this when I painted my
cycle blue, and I found a ready answer in a reminiscence . . . my first
sweetheart wore a blue tam-o'-shanter. This is called the "nothing
but" psychology. Do I dream of a train? Quite simple! It is merely
"nothing but" a sexual symbol!

Life is too complex for a "nothing but" psychology. Last night a girl
told me a sexual dream she had had, but when she gave her associations
we found that the deep meaning of the dream had nothing to do with sex.
Freud says that about every dream is the mark of the beast, but then I
think he believes in original sin.

I have been thinking a lot recently about the psychology of flogging.
It is generally stated that the flogger is a sexual pervert, a Sadist,
and undoubtedly there are pathological cases where men find sexual
gratification in inflicting or in watching the infliction of pain. In
the pathological case the gratification is conscious, but I believe
that many respectable parents and teachers find an unconscious
gratification. It is absurd to say to a man like Macdonald: "Your
punishing is 'nothing but' Sadism." Yet I think that a little test
might decide the matter. If the accused flogger is shocked or
indignant at the idea I should be inclined to think that the accusation
was a just one.

If I say to Simpson: "Excuse my mentioning it, old man, but I don't
think you love your wife," he will laugh heartily, for he has been
married for a month only, and is still very mu