The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-08-21

aglnatlon, taxing certain Qlrectlon,
that led Newton from the falling ap-
pie to the law of gravitation. 1t was
imagination, taking another direc-
ton. that led Columbus to set the
prov of his ship toward the shore of
another continent. He had never
seen the new world. He steered by
faith and not by sight When the
geologist digs out bone, it is imag.
| nation that enables him to fill the
primeval forests and seas with extinct
monsters he never beheld with the
natural eye. He also proceeds by
faith and not by sight. Imagination
is the wise master builder that takes
the fragments of ascertained knowl-
edge and constructs from them a
scientific universe.
(2.) In what we call, the practical,
business world, imagination is no
less potent and active. Mr.. Stedman
contends that "our men of action are
equally, though unwittingly, pos
sessed by it."
He says: 1.-THE imagination of in
ventors, organizers, merchant princes,
railway kings, is conceptive and
strenuous. 1t bridges rivers, tunnels
mountains, makes an ocean-ferry,
developes the forces of vapor and
electricity, and carries each to swift
utility; is already picturing an en-
perry of the air, and doubtless signs
that its tangible franchise is re-
stricted to our humble planet"
Each item of Mr.. Stedman's emu
meration was fancy before it became
fact. Imagination, starting with
the old, clumsy, tedious way of doing
things, has called into existence the
world of invention. Starting with
ancient methods of transportation, it
has created the world of steam and
electricity. Every bridge, canal, rail-
road, business enterprise, is crea
ture of imagination. 1t was seen from
afar in its possibilities; it was
wrought out in the brain before it
was established on the earth. Be-
hind the human hands that hewed
the stones and drove the spikes, was
the mighty planner and builder, I'm
agination.
(3) Let no one, therefore, make the
mistake of supposing that the work
of the Imagination is unreal and un-
substantial; that there is nothing
trustworthy about it. Let no one
suppose that it has nothing to work
upon.
1t grounds itself in facts of the
more obvious kind, and expands itself
into something larger and more
beautiful. It starts with the root in
the ground, but does not stop till it
sees in that root the coming tree with
its leaves and branches and fruitage.
From the seen it reaches out into
the unseen, along the same direction
in which the visible thing points.
From the outward universe it goes
to the spirit that pervades it. From
the single incident, it works out the
universal principle. From the ten
dency it divines the end. From the
earthly life, often broken and incom-
plete, it arrives at the life beyond, of
completeness and symmetry. 1t
builds for the future, just as the ge-
ologist or the svolutionist constructs
for the past.
(4) The action of the Imagination
must of course be tempered and cor
rected by that of otLer parts of the
mind, for no single faculty is suffi-
cient of itself.
Imagination takes the foundation
furnished by judgment, reason, pru-
dence, investigation and scientific
research; and upon this builds it's
temple, glorifying it with pictures
and frescoes. 1t exalts and turns to
higher uses that which other powers
and other methods have produced.
For long time, there lay in the
workshops of the cathedral of Flor.
ence, an immense block of marble.
Many weary months in the quarries
at Carrawa, hundreds of workmen
toiled; at length the marble was
brought forth from the quarries.
Three machines had to be construct
ed in order to lower it down the
mountainside, and convey it to the
vessel. A pilot was required to
guide that vessel through the deep,
a crew to man it, captain to con-
troll the crew. For days they sailed
upon the sea. When they reached
the shore, many hands and more ma
chinery were required to bring the
huge block by land into the court
yard of the cathedral. Then came a
sculptor to try his chisel upon it, to
see what he could fashion from the
stone; but after a few Intellectual