ON ATOMS. 415 



How is A to know where B is, or in what relation it stands to B ? Poor dear 

 atoms ! I pity them. 



Hermogenes. — You may spare your sympathy. They are absolutely hlind 

 and passive. 



Hcrmione. — Blind and passive ! The more the wonder how they come to 

 perceive those same relations you talk about, and how they "comport them- 

 selves," as you call it [act, as I should say) on that perception. I have a better 

 theory of the universe. 



Hermogenes. — Tell it me. 



Hennione. — In the beginning was the nebulous matter, or Akasch. Its bound- 

 less and tumultuous waves heaved in chaotic wildness, and all was oxygen, and 

 hydrogen, and electricity. Such a state of things could not possibly continue; 

 and as it could not possibly be \vorse, alteration was here synonymous with im- 

 provement. Then came 



Hermogenes. — Now it is my turn to saj- , Stop ! stop ! Solvuntur risu tabiilfB. 

 Do let us be serious. Remember, it was you who began the conversation. Je 

 vie s'u/s seulement laisse entrainer. The tact is, I have only so far been trying 

 you, and I see you ai-e apt. There lies the real difficulty about these atoms. 

 These same "relations" in which they stand to one another are anything but 

 simple ones. They involve all the "ologies" and all the "ometries," and in 

 these days we know something of what that implies. Their movements, their 

 interchanges, their "hates and loves," their "attractions and repulsions, " their 

 "correlations," their what not, are all determined on the very instant. There is 

 no hesitation, no blundering, no trial and error. A problem of dynamics which 

 would drive Lagrange mad, is solved instantcr "Sohntur amh/dando.^' A differ- 

 ential equation which, algebraically written out, would belt the earth, is integra- 

 ted in an eye-twinkle ; and all the numerical calculation worked out in a way to 

 frighten Zerah Colburn, George Bidder, or Jedediah Buxton. In short, these 

 atoms are most wonderful little creatures. 



Herjnione. — Wonderful, indeed ! Anyhow, they must have not only good 

 memories, but astonishing presence of mind, to be always ready to act, and 

 always to act without mistake, according to "the primary laws of their being," 

 in every complication that occurs. 



Hermogenes. — Thou hast said it ! That is just the point I knew you must 

 come to The ]iresence of mind is what solves the whole difficvdty ; so far at 

 least as it brings it within the sphere of our own consciousness, and into con- 

 formity with our own experience of what action is. We know nothing but as 

 it is conceivable to us from our own mental and bodily experience and conscious- 

 ness. When Ave know Ave act, Ave are also conscious of Avill and effort ; and 

 action Avithout AA'ill and effort is to us, constituted as we are, unrealizable, un- 

 knoAA'ablo, inconceivable. 



Hrmione. — That AA'ill do. My head begins to turn round. But I hardly 

 fancied Ave had got on such an interesting train. We will talk of this again. 

 More to-morroA7. Noav to the feast of floAvers the children are preparing. 



