A Written Record of Achievements 



other groups. Which of the above divisions of man's 

 achievements has added more to man's happiness is a con- 

 troversial question and not open to a discussion in a story of 

 this kind. A comparison of the sub-divisions of the above 

 groups may properly be made. The greatness of any sub- 

 ject is always to be measured by the influence it has over 

 humanity — whether it affects all men of all ages and all men 

 of all races in the same or similar manner; whether its use 

 has been constant and continuous; and whether its effect has 

 advanced man's progress and added to his happiness. 



Applying the above test to the division — Art, the great- 

 est contribution that the preceding generations have left to 

 us and the one exercising the strongest influence over human- 

 ity above any other, is that of writing. 



The invention of writing, a medium through which 

 man's thoughts have been preserved and transmitted from 

 generation to generation and through which his discoveries 

 have been communicated to others at a distance, has made 

 possible the passing from a state of barbarism to one of 

 civilization. The collective thoughts of mankind through- 

 out the ages have been preserved and placed before us 

 through the art of writing. It alone, as no other agency 

 has done, has made possible the continuous progress of the 

 human race. All intellectual achievements are based on a 

 system of communicating thought. Carlyle says, "Certainly 

 the art of Writing is the most miraculous of all things man 

 has devised. With the art of Writing, of which Printing is 

 a simple, inevitable and comparatively insignificant corol- 

 lary, the true reign of miracles for mankind commenced." 



[51] 



