Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-08-18
THE SECRET OF LIFE.

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of it's thin pellicle of soil, thinner
with reference to the mass than is
the peel to the apple, and you have
stripped it of its life. Or, rob it Of
it's watery vapor and carbon dioxide
in the air, both stages in the evapor-
alton, and you have dead world.
The huge globe swings through
space only as a mass of insensate
rock. So limited and evanescent is
the world of living matter, so vast
and enduring is the world of the
non-living. Looked at in this way,
in the light of physical science, life,
repeat, seems like mere passing
phase of the cosmic evolution, fit
ting and temporary stage Of matter
which it passes through in the pro-
cession of changes on the surface Of
a cooling planet. Between the fiery
mist Of the nebula and the frigid
and consolidated globe there is a
brief span, ranging over. about one
hundred and twenty degrees of tenn
perature, where life appears and Or
ganic evolution takes place. Compar-
ed with the whole scale of tempera-
ture, from absolute zero to the white
heat of the hottest stars, it is about
a hairs-breadth compared to mile.
Life processes cease, but chemical
and mechanical processes go on for
ever. Life is as fugitive and uncer-
tain as the bow in the clouds, and,
like the bow in the clouds, is con-
fined to a limited range of cOndi-
tions. Like the bow, also, it is a per-
petual creation, a contract becom-
ing, and it's source is not in the mat
ter through which it is manifested,
though inseparable from it. The ma
terial substance of life, like the rain
drops, is in perpetual fux and
change; it hangs always on the
verge of dissolution and vanishes
when the material conditions fail, to
be renewed again when they return.
We know-do we not?-that life is
as literally dependent upon the sun
as is the rainbow, and equally de-
pendent up the material elements;
but whether the physical condi-
lions sum up the whole truth about
it, as they do with the bow, is the
insoluble question. Science says
yes, but our philosophy and our re-
ligion say no. The poets and the
prophets say no, and our hopes and
aspirations say no.
Where, then, shall we look for the
key to this mysterious thing we call
life? Modern biochemistry will not
listen to the old notion Of a vital
force-that is only metaphysical
will-o'-the-wisp that leaves us foun-
dering in the quagmire. If I ques-
tion the forces about me, what an
swer do I get? Molecular attraction
and repulsion seem to say, ut is not
in US; we are as active in the clod
as in the flower" The four princi-
pie acknowledgement, nitrogen, hy-
drogen, and carbon-say, ut is not
In us, because we are from all eter-
nifty, and life is not; we form only
its physical basis.'' Warmth and
moisture say, "It is not in us; we
are only it's faithful nurses and
handmaidens." The sun says: "It
is not in me; shine on dead worlds
as well. I but quicken life after it is
planted" The stars say, "It is not
in us; we have seen life come and
go among myriads of worlds for un-
told ages" No questioning of the
heavens above nor Of the earth be-
low can reveal to us the secret we
are in quest of.