South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-17

proving its tool. and. while the
brain is the seat OF mental action.
il is not the only part Of mans BODY
that is affected and modified by the
activity Of the mind. His features.
his limbs. his muscles. his nerves.
his vital functions. all are subject
to mental influence.
Changes For Better
A high intelligence shows in the
face. We do not know how Shake
speare looked, for there is no au-
thentfc likeness Of him in existence.
but we are morally certain that he
did not look like a brute or a thief
or a murderer That certainty is
based upon universal experience. II
requires some skill TO read the
minds construction in the face.
but IL can. in a large sense. be done.
There can be no question that the
general appearance of the human
race. as civilization and intelli-
gence have advanced. has changed
for the better. Exceptions do not
alter the rule. Backslidings do
not arrest the general advance; but
the latter is. by its very nature.
slow.
We are. consciously or uncOn-
sciously changing in looks and
form as we'll as I'm character and
the change is upward. Man in the
future will be a nobler being physi-
cally and mentally than he is to-
day. We have no means Of fixing
a limit TO his possibilities Of pro-
gress.
Second. we cannot tell how animal
life, or. for that matter, vegetable
life came into existence. But it is
a subject that has led to many fas-
cinating speculations. 1t has been
assumed. for instance, that the first
germs OF life are ultra microscopic.
i. e.. too minute TO be seen and
studied by any instrument of science
and thus the beginning Of life
seems TO us miraculous, though in
reality il may be the result of
chemical and physical operations no
more mysterious than any other
operation of nature.
Some have assumed that life was
started from an original germ by
a special effort of creative power,
and after that was left to natural
development in accordance with
the needs Of its environment. We
do find from the study of the rocks
that the earliest life forms were
comp aratively very simple. and
that the higher and more complex
forms have appeared gradually, and
apparently always by evolution or
develOpn mt. from preceding forms.
At the present time we know of
no life which does not spring from
previously existing life. In other
words we find no creation of alb
solutely new life in any form. Yet
some, like DR.. Bastian, think that
life is actually developing anew
now, just az it has done in the
past, but that, as above said. its
elements are below the range of
microscopic vision and of chemical
experiment
May Produce New Varieties.
New species have been coming
into existence through every geo
logic age, but always, as far as we
can see. as a result Of changes and
notifications in older ones Many
species have gone out OF existence
entirely Changes of climate. etc.
have been powerful factors in al
tering the forms of life. We can
watch that process going on under
the influence Of changes produced
by ourselves
If we cannot produce absolutely
new species by our interference
we can produce many new va
rieties, and by intermixture many
| extraordinary forms. Look at what
Luther Burbank has effected in this
way. He has found that there is
| so 10 speak. an underworld Of un-
| developed or forgotten forms and
! tendencies in the life forces of this
globe, which can be brought out in
what seem like new creations OF
/ beauty and usefulness.
| He does not pretend TO create
actually new forms of plants. but
he finds that he can manipulate
old forms and bring about new com
/ binations and encourage hidden OF
| suppressed tendencies. so that
with sufficient time and effort. II
| might he possible TO reclothe the
earth with a garment of vegetation
far more splendid than any il has
vet worn.