The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-15
About Plants ~ ~
~ ~ and Animals.

civilized hclng. distincuvely endowed
mentally and morally. forgetting that thu
Is not the universal type and that great
gulf Of time and circumstance divides this
gradually developed product of centuries
Of civilization from the primitive savage.
II IL only through special inquiry that we
realize the actual mental and physical char
actcristics In which the latter Is sometimes
surpassed by the beasts Of the forests and
folds and recognize that these in turn have
many attributes with man In his highest
and best state
In a work recently published this sub.
iect Is considered In Wide and eonpre-
hensye sense. The author, Or. Thomas
G. Gentry is well known as writer upon
science and natural history, aud the results
Of his long aud intelligent investigation OF
plant and animal life at once impress and
interest us. In his preface the author
says.
Few minds, unswnycd by thoughts mate
realistic, can study the living works OF
God whether vegetable or animal, aud
fall to be convinced that they as living
exponents of divine conceptions, are as
ncedful In the world Of spirit as In the
world OF matter while many are dis
posed to believe that man will share tho
future llfc with beast bird. insect aud
such like, yet but few, II any, can he found
who believe that tree and shrub and flower
will be there to continue the life begun
on earth and reach out TO higher and
fuller development. In announcing this
belief, the author but expresses convic-
tion rs deep as any that could occupy
the human mind. The possession nf soul
and spirit can he predcated no less of
plants than Of man and of the lower ami
mails As all existence Is a unit,
which the author has taken especial pains
through tho body Of tho book 10 Impress
upon the minds Of his readers. Il can hard
Is he convinced that an all wise God. who
Is infinite In love, mercy and Justice. would
look TO the preservation In future state
Of hut very small part Of the life which
lie has been instrumental In placing upon
this earth. II would he more consistent
with His attributes, ana with the scheme or
development Of life upon our planet where
10y !ife has been progressive. the htcst rny
being allowed TO survive, to have provided
in the grand plan Of redemption, not mere.
~ tho salvation Of the highest Of earth
NE hut of all life the purcst ana the
hest that would represent in splritualtzcd
form the highest living opponents OF iii
vine ideas"
This is the keynote of mr. Gpntry's
work. ana from II nc argucN AZ lcngth in
support of his belief. considering life In
Its general conditions, aud passing thence
to plants. selecting those that feed on m.
sccts for first consideration The leaves Of
such will not only closely cnfold hlos and
bits Of meat. remaining SO until the food
Is dissolved by the Stcretlons. bui they win
reach ont after their pray. which has been
proved by pinnng the former half mn inch
away, The le9vcs in The course Of nm
hour touchcd the nics ana cnvcopci them.
Here on in many other Instances, thorc Ia
nlso remarkable example This plant,
when isolated from the sawdust and chips
Of wood among which 1t has been living,
ndapts itself 10 the water in shallow
vessel But II the latter be set down upon
the sawdust the plant will mnke Its way
over the side to reach the tan bark 'rhes'
are hut two of n host OF interesting ex.
amples Of the nervous and Vital attributes
Of plants Scientists confess themselves
unable to decide whore plant life ends and
animal life hcgns No fiNed ana immutHhlr
dividing line can be drawn. Plants breathe
aud sleep and have the mower of con
seriousness. constituencies nnd locomotion
Such attributes once bestowed in the
bcrcncencc ~ God nave never been de-
stroycd or recalled.
~
Passing to the animal kingdom, the au-
thor states that man. as we'll rs the lower
animals has instincts, hut very few Of them
are apparent, for he IL able ia bring most
Of them under subsection by the force of
his reason, there being the widest possIh G
difference between these two mental quail
ties. Instinct Is inherent. reason acquired,
and IT tx by his superiority IN this latter
direction that he has acquired and main.
tanned his supremacy. That all animals
have language Of their own, though It
he sometimes ono of gesture only, is rs well
recognized as their ability TO acquire a
comprehension Of ourE They manifest
clearly many human attributes of mind and
character. Dogs naturally ofcr many eX-
amples of Intelligence and of reason, and
Dr. Gentry testihes that cats likewise are
endowed with these qualities and adds that
this Is n most grossly libellcd and mnllgned
animal Birds possess generosity, memory
and sense Of humor in common with many
Of the quadrupeds and the pages of this
friendly record are filled with delightful
anecdotes In Illustration Of the claims Of
the author on behalf OF his friends In fur
and feathers. There Is scarcely human
virtue or passion that does not nnd It's
counterpart in the animal world. Every
soul Is not the same IN man, every nature
Is not the same In animnls The count
enancc. upon which marked Characteristics
write themselves clearly TO the eye Of In
telligence Is as diverse In the animal as In
the human family. study OF our domestic
animals win easily prove this. II is as
clearly defined as that the intellectual ma
ture is higher than the physical and the
spiritual higher than either. In the human,
the animal the vegetable Kingdom this
gradual development has gone on for ages,
and there are many who believe that II
will continue after "life's ntful fever is
ended"
or this higher ana more perfect state the
author concludes:
81 claim not for the lower animals the
slightest equality with man. What l claim
for them is higher status In creation
than is generally attributed 10 them.
claim for them future life, where they
win receive a Just compensation for the