Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-15
READINGATHE FUTURE
OUR INABIILTY TO DO 80 ExAs-
PERATExSo1fH PEOPLE
How What Is te-Come Might Be Made
Plain-Slight Change in Brain
IlDr Nerves ,s4e-.,.-.

Maurice Maeterlinck In the Fortnishtiy Review.
1t Is. In certain respects, quite incompre-
,hensible that We Should not know the flu
ture. Probab~ admgfe nothing, the dis
placement Of q aerebral lobe. the resetting
of Broca.,s convofntioh fl different man
ner the addition OF 4 slender network OF
nerves To- those Which 'f 6ririn our conscious
ness-any one OF these would be enough
to make the future surifoid itself before us
with the same cReaffisssss, TIC same majes-
tic amplitude, as that WITH which the past
is displayed On fie horizon. not only of our
indfvfduaf life, but also of the life of the
species to which we belong. A singular in
trinity. a curious limitation OF our intellect
causes us not to Know what is going to
happen to us, Wien We are fully aware OF
what has befallen us:s FROM the absolute
point Of view to. which our imagination
succeeds in rising, although It cannot live
there, there is no reason why we should
not see that which does not yet exist
considering that that. which does not yet
exist In Its relation IL us must necessarily
have its being already and manifest itself
somewhere. II not, it would have to be
form the center of the world, that we are
only witnesses for whom events wait SO
that they may have the right to appear
and to count in the eternal history OF
causes and effects. 1t would be as absurd
to assert this for time as it would be for
space. that other not quite 50 incompre-
hensible form OF the 2twofold infinite mys-
terry In which our whole life floats.
FamilialstysWith Space.
Space Is more familiar to us, because
the accidents Of >o61ff. organism place US
more directly In .relation with it. and make
1t more concrete.zsWe can move in 1t pref
ty freely, 'dnsH certain number of direc-
lions. before and behind US. That Is why
no traveller would take 1t into his head
to maintain that, the. towns which he has
not yet visited will become real only at the
moment when he sets8his foot within their
wallis. Yetsthfs :ts very nearly what we
do when we persuade ourselves that an
event which hasfnot' yet happened does
not yet exist. IT, ~ ~
can conceiv6sthati we are not qualified
to know beforehand the disturbances Of the
elements. the destiny of the planets, of the
earth, CT empires, peoples and races. All
this does not touch us directly. and we
know 1t In the past thanks only to the ar
tif1ces OF history But that which regards
us, that which fs within our reach, that
which Is to unfold itself within the little
sphere OF years. a1secfetfon Of our spiritual
the shell or the cocoon enyelops the mol
lusk or the insect in space; that, together
with all the external events relating to it.
Is probably recorded I'm that sphere. In any
case. 1t would be much more natural that
1t were SO retofded than comprehensive
that 1t be not SdThere we have realities
struggling witk an.tilusion; and there Is
nothing to pretsentsus from believing that,
here as Observation-Disclosures will end by
overcoming ilusiepq Realities are what
will happen toHs shaRing already happened
in the history that aFerhangs our own, the
motionless and ,supeYhuman history of the
universe. Illusion Is the opaque veil woven
with the ephemeraf; Threads called yester-
day, today and tornprrow. which we en-
broider on those realities. But It is not In
dispensable that odr existence should CON
tinue the eternaf dtpe Of that Illusion, We
may even ask ourselves whether our extra
ordinary unf1tHess for knowing a thing 80
simple SO irfcontestab1e.j'so perfect and SO
necessary as thea future would not form one
OF the greatest1sdbjec ts fBr establishment to