Life as a Physical Phenomenon. 153 



an illuminated mist or as though some comet in its rapid 

 flight had left a portion of its train behind. Such luminous 

 masses are always found in the same part of the heavens, 

 as fixed as are the fixed stars themselves. Astronomers 

 call them nebula. 



There is a theory now accepted by astronomers that our 

 solar system was formed from just such a nebulous mass. 

 Let me recall very briefly the main points of this theory. 



The nebula of which our system was formed was set in 

 motion by the power of omnipotence, and made to revolve. 

 By its swift motion and by the attraction of particles for 

 each other a central globe was drawn together, leaving 

 the nebula divided into this central sphere, and a great 

 ring of nebulous matter revolving about it. This central 

 mass is the sun. At length the great ring, by the velo- 

 city of its motion, was broken into lesser rings, one 

 within the other, all revolving in the same direction. The 

 force of attraction and the swift revolution of the rings 

 caused them again to break up, but not as before. Now 

 instead of dividing into thinner rings the matter gathers 

 into globular masses, and these masses revolve upon them- 

 selves while they continue to fly in the great orbit origin- 

 ally occupied by three several rings. 



Here, then, we have a great central globe, around which 

 was a ring of nebulous matter, which ring has broken up 

 into smaller globes which revolve about the central one ; 

 and all these are surrounded by and contained in an atmo- 

 sphere or ether, which, while it may be unlike our own, is 

 still a surrounding and enveloping element for them all. 



Now do we see between this system of globes and this 

 little cell with its nucleus and revolving granules any re- 

 semblance ? Is there not at least a very strong sugges- 

 tion : that a single thought prevailed in the creation of the 

 microscopic plant and the almost infinite system of worlds ? 

 And when we remember that this same principle of the 

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