Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-05-08
AS DARWIN SAW Ir.
Only 1t Is Confined to the Brief Limits of
Dream.

| DiSAus
My first visit to Priest Point Park
had been the happiest day of my life
inasmuch as had now seen MANY OF
the countless forms of animal life.
had read so much about Priest Poin,
In the Olympia papers, in my bed that
night, as thought over all had seen
| was suddenly startled by hearing
what seemed like miniature Babel
Looking for its origin, l found | wa:
surrounded by multitudes of protozo
ans. the simplest form of animal life
They all seemed to be speaking, and
in my own language. at that All al
once every voice was still, and a great
voice spoke: My children. what dc
you desire?" The protozoan myriads
made known their wishes thus: 1--WE
would be more than protozOa; we
would have the power of growing un
til We should become like yonder noun,
tain" Your wish shall be granted
and you shall be corals, and shall help
to build the islands of the sea-" And
we," said another myriad of the proto.
zOa. would have the power of moving
about In the sea, so that we may go
wherever we wish" You shall have
your DESIRE" answered the Great Voice
You shall be fishes. and shall swim
in all the waters Of the earth" I'VE
wish to move about on the dry land"
said myriad number three. where we
may daily enjoy the bright. warm sun
shine" You shall have your wish, "
said the Great Voice; you shall be
lizards and turtles. and walk upon the
face of the earth" We, too. wish
to travel upon the earth" said fourth
myriad Of protozoa, but We wish to
travel very rapidly. admired by all"
You shall be horses and deer" said
the Great Voice, "and shall be SO swift
that few indeed shall be able to keep
up with you" I'VE wish to have all
of these our cousins as our food, so
that We shall not be dependent upon
the grass of the field, which may some
times fail" said myriad number five.
You shall be lions and tigers" the
Great Voice answered. land shall have
all animals Of the earth as your prey"
I'VE wish to rise in the air above the
a. rth On thot NO NOV loolr doup oyou
upon the tiger" said the sixth myriad
Of protozoa. you shall be birds. and
shall soar above all else that lives. +"
said the Great Voice. And we." said
yet other protozoa, would have do
minion over all that swims In the sea,
all that creeps and runs upon the land,
and all that flies through the air. We
would have power over all the earth
and all that lives upon it. SO that the
very existence of the swift horse, the
soaring bird, the blooming flowers.
and the waving forest shall be sub
ject to our will. Power, power, be
ours!
Much. yea. very much. do you
ask" said the Great Voice. yet even
all this shall be granted. But l warn
you that your happiness shall depend
upon the use you make Of this great
power. and lest you forget. amid your
greatness. your humble origin. there
shall be two great books written to
remind yon ages hence that these
lowly protozoa have been your an
cestors, and that the fish. the turtle,
the horse. the tiger. the bird. are all
your cousins The first l shall call
the Book of the Rock. In the rocks
of the earth shall be preserved count
less intermediate forms, scarcely differ
ing from each other, yet forming
chain linking the protozoa at the one
end with man at the other. Your
children who study this book shall
call 1t the Science of Geology. The
second | shall call the Book Of the
Egg. No matter to what physical and
intellectual heights you may attain,
every individual Of your race must
start In the same humble way. de-
veloping, step by step, from the simple
cell to the noble man, though for this
few years shall sufiice instead OF
the hundreds of centuries that shall
now elapse before the nrst man ap-
pears. And your children shall call
this the Science of Embryology."
The Great Voice then breathed upon
the protozoa and they began to take
upon themselves new forms, scercely
noticeable at first. yet differing more
and more widely from each other.
Days. years, centuries. cycles. seemed
to roll before me, until I saw again
all the creatures that I had seen at
Priest Point, with thousands Of others.
all engaged in the everlasting struggle
for existence: a hundred pushing and
one surviving, to pass on upward to
perfection. And In my admiration OF
the marvellous result, forgot all the
cruelties of the ages-long struggling.
as one forgets the dark, stormy night
when he beholds beautiful dawn. l
saw not the passing evil and suffering,
but the final good and happiness. and
as the long, living chain stood before
me. connecting the humble protozo-
ans with man with myself could
only say, Wonderful, wonderful"
/ awake, and 1t was only a dream; !;
only a dream? Or was it-histOry?
MIzPAH.