The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-11-26
THE AGE OF DISCOVERY,

arc now approaching the end, Never
before has knuwlcdgo increased so rap
idly; never heloro has philosophical
speculation been 50 actively conduct
cd, or its results SO widely dilused, 1t
is y characteristic Of organic evolution
that numerous progressive tendencies,
for long time inconspieuous, now and
then unite to bring about a striking
and apparently sudden change; or u
SGT Of forces, quietly accommodating in
one direction, at length unlock some
new reservoir of force, and abruptly
inaugurate new series of phenomena,
rs when water rises in tank until its
overflow sets whirlmg Il system OF
toothcd whocls, ltmay DO that Nature
makes no leaps, bui in this way she
now and then maAcs very long strides.
1t is in this way that the course OF or
ganic development is marked hero and
there by memorable opochs, which
seem TO open new chapters IN the his
tory of the universe, There was such an
epoch when the common ancestor OF
ascidian and amphioNus first showed
rudimcntary traces oil vertebrat col
umn. There was such an epoch when
the air-bladtscr OF early amphiblans be.
gan to do duty as lung. Greatest OF
all, since the epoch, still hidden from
our ken, when organic life began upon
the surface of tho globe, was the birth
of that new era when, through Won
drous change in tho direction OF the
working of natural selection, Humani-
" appeared upon the scene. In tho
career OF the human race we can like
wise point to periods in which il has
become apparent that an immense
stride was taken. Such period marks
the dawning OF human history, when
after countless ages of desultory tribal
warfare, men succeeded in uniting into
comparatively stable political societies,
and through the medium OF written
language began handing down to pos
tcrity the record OF their thoughts and
deeds. Since that morning twilight Of
history there has been no era SO strong
~ marked, no change SO swift or so
far-reachng in the conditions of hui
man life, as that which began with the
great maritime discoveries OF the iif-
tecnth century, and is approaching its
elimination to-day. In its earlier
stages this modern era was signalized
by sporadic achievements OF the human
intellect, great in themselves, and lead
ing TO such stupendous results rs the
bodest dared not dream of. Such
achievements were the invention of
printing, the telescope and microscope
the geometry Of DoscartoS, the astron-
omy OF Newton, the physics Of Huy-
ghens, the physiology of Harvey.
Mans senses were thus indefinitely en-
largod as his means OF registration
were perfected; he became capable of
extending physical differences from the
earth TO the heavens; and he made his
first acquaintance with that luminifcr-
Gus ether which was by and BY to re-
veal the intimate structure OF matter
in regions far beyond the power OF the
microscope to penetrate.
1t is only with the present century
that the vastness of the changes thus
beginning to be wrought has become
apparent The scientific achievements
OF the human intellect no longer occur
sporadically; they follow one upon an
other, like the organized and systcmat'
ic conquest OF Il tesislIess army. Each
new discovery becomes at once pow
erful implement in the hands OF innu-
merabIc workers, and each year wins
over fresh regions Of The universe from
the unknown 10 the known Our own
generation has become SO wonted to
this unresting march OF discovery that
we already take it rs matter Of
course. Our miGd5 become easily
dcadcncd to Its real import, and the
examples we cite III Illustration OF it
have an air OF trItcncss We scarcely
need 10 DC reminded that all the adyan-
ccs made IN iocomotIon, from the days
OF Ncbuch'dne|a II TO those Oh Andrew
Jackson, were is nothing compared 10
the change t!hit mas pech wrought
within few years by the introduction
OF railroads. III these times, Whom
! pucE has fulfilled vi. ht,,tt and mt a