The Portland daily press., 1900-05-17
THE MESSAGE OF NATURE.
Tn. univsrss E.,ss. bat for On. Par.
pose--Life.

lJohn Wright Buckham in the Christian
keeister.)
OF the new scisncss whioh the last half
century has contributed TO the svsr-en-
iargipg fund Of human knowledge, the
most fascinating and most fruitful IL
biology. Biology ooeupies peculiarly
absorbing fsid. It analyses examines,
interrogatss life at Its sources. with the
aid Of that masterful magician. the
microscope. It penetrAtss sns very temple
of life, invedss its innsruost SAINT tusry.
probes into its most. secret outgoinGs, and
studies Its primal potsneiss. The life
that We sse will. the naked eye biology
assures us. Is but collective. cumulative
life. We see the society of life. - It were,
not its individuality. Our bodies. for
example, are great colonies. vast munioi-
palities Of life-oells. working together
with harmony and sdaptability beyond
all description or com prehension.
The csll, which IL the unit OF Life, or.
% It 10 technically defined. "the funda-
mental form element Of every organized
bcdy," Ii tiny spsck OF protoplasm.
with nucleus at the center, and cell
wall which separates 1t from other cells
This csll-think OF iti-possesses the
powers OF sensation, nutrition. reproduc-
tion, and spontaneous motion; that is. 10
can feel, eat. multiply and move itself.
In such single infnitssimai cell began
svsry living plant. animal, man.
The most striking thing about this osll
life 10 Its intense, immense vitalit y.
These cells are electric with life. Watched
under the microscope. they are seen
moving hither and thithsr.in cont,nuous
agitation; and every now and then one
will break and divide. and now there fare
two instead of one. whirling away upon
their mission of life: to divide and repro-
duce indefinitely. Thess simpiest forms
Of oell-lifs seem possessed, enc might al
most say Intoxicated, with life.
1t IL only when . more complex form
Of cell life is reached that the death pEin-
oiple enters; and then IL II. as Newman
Smyth has 90 clearly pointed out In his
volume, "The Place or Dsath In Evolu-
tion," only In order TO promote life. This
death does by removing defective and
worn ont cells. that new and better ONES
may take their plAoe. Life IL the ruler
In nature. and death is only his assis-
tant. A good deal Of dismay has accom-
panied the discovery tf thoss miorosoopic q
10 pervasive that We are sup posed to be
entirely at their mercy. 1t 10 somew hat
reAssuring to lind out that by far the
Iexp IN VHAW ~ n IN
friends, not our enemies; that thsy are
health producing, life-produoing. and
that only very small per cent are dis
ease. producing. Here, too, 10 another
testimony to the same effsot-that the
relative purpose 10 life, and not death.
This reign Of life. established In the
first and simplest order Of sentisnt being,
holds throughout nature. AS you ascend
the 90 ale, life 10 still the regnant princi.
| ple, to the very topmost round. The
struggle and the song OF nature Is alike,
"lifs IL The new wine Of life lows
rent, pouring through the tiny veins ol
plant and tree. TIL they buisj into leaI
and bloom, sweeping through insect aud
| bird and animal till they ny and sing and
| run and increase, borne on BY o power as
mysterious as IL is mighty. For. when
We ask the biologist. as We formerly
asked the naturalist, what Is the fonros
and nature OF this life which he has th Is
traced back 90 Its beginninRs In the ceil,
his answer 10 the same that science baf
always been compelled to make, "I can
not tell; find life, but lind no clsw to
Its source or Its meaning" That is ths
final word OF science. AS j ohm burroughs
has said, 'Tne only thing insx plicable IL
the inherent impulse to experiment, the
orig inal push. the pIinciple Of iife.''
| So far as 1t is possible, therefore, to de-
termine the purpose for which the uni
verse exists, II Is life. 10 that end every.
thing, from the initial whirl of star-dust
| to tie present moment, ssems to conspil
| The exuberancs and luxurianoe of / Il
| ill all otservant souls with amaxamebt ..
What does II mean. EXCEPT II be that life
| Is SO great . good that the God OF life and
| love bestows it with lavish largeesl
| "God made the world" said Henry Ward
thought. What prcfusion ts thers In hii
work. or leaves the trees have
so many suits that they can throw them
away to the winds ALL summer long.
| What unnumb bersd cathsdrals has hs
rt AIRED In the forest shades, vast and
grand, full Of curious carvings, and
haunted evermore by ttemuious music
And. In the heavens above. how do stars
seem to have flown out CT his hand faster
than sparks out OF a mighty iorge!" SC
rich, so abundant, so varied is the life
| that sings and files about US, and creepi
and blossoms at our Ieets ae We slanu
amid the enoircling glory Of . summer
day, that it seems to us excess. surfeit.
waste; but this may well be only because
we are too limited and finite in our un.
derstAnding and sympathy to embrace 1t,
| Lifeis the goal of creation, and moi
life only, but life In its highest form.
Else what means evolution? Why was
not Nature content with cell iifef Why
| did shs evolve more and more complex
and beautiful forms OF life, and, not con.
| tent with these. push on and on till man
himself was reachedf And why was moi
nature-or rather, Gcd-content with
| physical man, hut he must have also
spiritual manf Because life does moi
reach It's highest stage, Its true fulhlment
| till it comes to the spiritual. Howbeit
that IL not first which is spiritual, but
that which is natural, afterward that
which Is spiritual There is nothing
which Nature tsaohes more clearly than
| that her aim Is exalted and spiritual
| She Is prodigai In her production OF life
in all its wealth-abounding variety bul
In her generous patronage OF quantity she
10 not nnmindful, also, OF quality. She
herself has taught us that quality, and
| not quantity. Is the test of value In life.