1884.] THINGS WHICH SEEM WORTHLESS. 85 



less until we have fixed its place in locality, in time, and in relation 

 to human knowledge and human need. 



Worthlessness is a thing of degree as well as a creature of cir- 

 cumstance. Our ordinary thought may not recognize this fact, yet 

 some underlying consciousness of it would seem to be shown by the 

 structure of the word we use to express it. Our thought may be 

 that the thing is worth nothing, but what we say is that it is worth- 

 less ; that is, worth not so much. It is as if we had a zero mark 

 like that upon our thermometers, and all degrees below that mark 

 must be distinguished by the minus sign. But as the heat of the 

 low degree is just as truly heat as that of the high degree, may it 

 not also be true that the worth of the worthless thing is as genuine 

 as any ? If this be true — and I am going forward for a space, any 

 way, in the presumption that it is — the real subject of our study s 

 "worth." Value, much or little; worth, more or less; what is its 

 nature, and upon what does it depend? How is it produced, and 

 how destroyed? Why is it so apt to elude our grasp? How can 

 we capture it, and how retain it after it is captured? It is easy to 

 ask these questions, but you do not need me to tell you that it is 

 not easy to answer them. Indeed, you know as well as I that any 

 full and complete answer to them is impossible. If we can even 

 approach an understanding of them, and get a partial answer to 

 them, our study of them will be well repaid. 



One response, in the nature of an answer to these questions, 

 comes from commerce. The test and measure of value it fur- 

 nishes is the market. Anything is worth what it will bring in 

 the market, and if it will bring nothing there, it is worth nothing. 

 This response helps some, but it does not satisfy. Commerce 

 renders an immense service to humanity, but its powers are con- 

 fined within narrow bounds, and limited by sharply-drawn lines. 

 "Within those lines it has proved one of the most efficient agents of 

 civilization. It has created the markets of the world, mighty res- 

 ervoirs, into which each producer pours his surplus production of 

 one thing, or class of things, and from which he draws as he is 

 able, of many things to satisfy his varied wants. It is hardly pos- 

 sible to over estimate the broadening of life which has come to us 

 through the operations of commerce. 



But there are some things which commerce cannot do for us, 

 and while we recognize the importance of its function and service, 

 we must not expect of it that service which it is not qualified to 



