136 J. HOPEINSOIf — AJSl^IVEESAilY ADDEESS. 



organisms which botanists claim to be plants, and zoologists claim 

 to be animals ; why we need not wonder tliat some of these 

 organisms at one period of their lives have the nature, movements, 

 and even instincts of animals, and at another period lead a purely 

 vegetative existence and reproduce themselves by spores ; and why 

 all such denizens of the debatable land are lowly in their organiza- 

 tion. It has shown us the meaning of the terms of relationship 

 used by Naturalists of the old school, unconscious of their real 

 value and purport, — comparative anatomy, affinity, community of 

 type, morphological unity, adaptive mimicry, etc. ; — and it has 

 explained the reason of the existence, utterly incomprehensible 

 before, of rudimentary and abortive organs. 



It has done much more. It has taught us that all things are 

 working together, or striving against each other, for the general 

 good. It has taught us how, by famine, disease, and premature 

 death, the weakest succumb that the strongest may have room to 

 live; how by the best of each race increasing, and multiplying, 

 and replenishing the earth, low forms of life become high, out of 

 unity and simplicity arising diversity and complexity, beauty and 

 joy. And it teaches us still another lesson ; it teaches us that we 

 ought to work, each and all, for the general progress of mankind ; 

 that the more intellectual, the happier, and the more holy we are, 

 the more intellectual, the happier, and the more holy will our 

 descendants be ; and that it is within our power, by always 

 striving to subordinate the pleasures of sense to those of mind and 

 soul, so to influence our offspring, unconsciously by heredity as 

 well as consciously by example and precept, that the type of our 

 race may be raised, and in the course of incalculable ages Man 

 may advance, intellectually and spiritually, nearer and nearer to 

 the image of his Maker. 



And when prejudice has completely succumbed to reason, the 

 doctrine of Evolution by Natural Selection will be taught in all 

 our schools as a fundamental truth of natural science, and will be 

 universally admitted to afford one of the most convincing proofs 

 of the wisdom and beneficence of God, as showing how ' ' thi'o' the 

 ages one increasing purpose runs," — 



"That mind and soul, according well, 

 May make one music as before, 

 But vaster." 



