Contribution of Astronomy to Geiieral Culture 361 



The eminent evolutionist, Alfred Russel Wallace, a contem- 

 porary and friend of Darwin, and justly entitled to share with him 

 in the credit for introducing into science the great principle of 

 evolution, has recently, in his old age, written a book, entitled 

 Man 's Place in the Universe. Basing his discussion upon the pre- 

 mise that our sun is near the center of the Milky Way, he argues 

 at great length and with much erudition (particularly for a biolo- 

 gist essaying in a new field) that the earth is the only habitable 

 planet of this or any system, and ^'that the nearly central position 

 of our sun is probably a permanent one and has been specially 

 favorable, perhaps absolutely essential, to life development on 

 the earth." The book seems a singular contradiction to the pre- 

 vious work of its distinguished author; in politics it would be called 

 '^ reactionary." Even if his evidence and arguments were con- 

 vincing, which they are not to practical astronomers, his con- 

 clusions would be narrowing and restrictive. It appears to me 

 a splendid thought that, with our feeble intellects bound down to 

 frail bodies, on a pitiful little planet of a mediocre star, our human- 

 ity is able to accomplish so much, see so far, and dream such 

 great dreams. We may share with Dr. Wallace in his apprecia- 

 tion of the following lines from Tennyson, but without excluding 

 from our philosophy the possible coexistence of millions of other 

 abodes of mind and matter. 



The Question 

 Will my tiny spark of being 



Wholly vanish in your deeps and heights? 

 Must my day be dark by reason, 



O ye Heavens, of your boundless nights, 

 Rush of Suns and roll of systems. 



And your fiery clash of meteorites? 



The Answer 

 "Spirit, nearing yon dark portal 



At the limit of thy human state, 

 Fear not thou the hidden purpose 



Of that Power which alone is great. 

 Nor the myriad world, His shadow, 



Nor the silent Opener of the Gate." 



It is characteristic of the audacity of the human mind that it 

 can pause nowhere in a research once begun; finality is never 

 reached; but new avenues of approach toward an apparent solu- 

 tion are constantly opening. 



