1014] on Plant-Autographs and their Revelations 197 



critical moment, a spasm passes through the whole body, and similarly 

 in the plant I find that a great contractile spasm takes place. Thi? 

 is accompanied by an electrical spasm also. In the script of the 

 Death-recorder the line, that up to this point was being drawn, 

 becomes suddenly reversed and then ends. This is the last answer 

 of the plant. 



These, our mute companions, silently growing beside our door, 

 have now told us the tale of their life-tremulousness and their death- 

 spasm in script that is as inarticulate as they. May it not be said 

 that this their story has a pathos of its own beyond any that we 

 have conceived ? 



We have now before our mind's eye the whole organism of the 

 perceiving, throbbing and responding plant, a complex unity and not 

 a congeries of unrelated parts. The barriers which separatee! kindred 

 phenomena in the plant and animal are now thrown down. Thus 

 community throughout the great ocean of Hfe is seen to outweigh 

 apparent dissimilarity. Diversity is swallowed up in unity. 



In realizing this, is our sense of final mystery of things deepened 

 or lessened ? Is our sense of wonder diminished when we realize in 

 the infinite expanse of life that is silent and voiceless the foreshadow- 

 ings of more wonderful complexities ? Is it not rather that science 

 evokes in us a deeper sense of awe ? Does not each of her new 

 advances gain for us a step in that stairway of rock which all must 

 climb who desire to look from the mountain-tops of the spirit upon 

 the promised land of truth ? 



[J. 0. B.] 



