640 Causes and Course of Organic Evolution 



of such forays with peaceful bartering journeys, the latter 

 became the recognized and accepted plan. 



In thus extending barter to another village it could truly 

 be said that "a pathway for commerce" was opened up that 

 benefited both communities. If one of these adventurous 

 ones was a rather keen bargainer — a Midianite of his day — 

 the bartered wealth brought back with him might cause him 

 and his family to proenviron a picture of his becoming a bar- 

 terer, a merchant, by trade. iVnd what, it may here be asked, 

 would stimulate to such a proenvironal course of thought 

 and future action? Exactly such as occurs in the pathway 

 plotted or proenvironed by a root or shoot of a flowering plant. 

 Several stimuli, acting on the ganglionic or neuratin substance, 

 caused definite chemico-physical changes, which, linking to- 

 gether or combining into several complex resultants, caused 

 a compounded resultant course of action, different from and 

 more complex in nature than previous simpler stimuli produced. 



If we may linger here a little longer, so as to try to analyze 

 and estimate the nature of the human stimuli acting, and so 

 measure approximately the resultant response that proenvir- 

 oned a new pathway of progress, it can surely be asserted 

 that some such as the following had a share. First, the re- 

 turned trader would be viewed by the members of his com- 

 munity as "a successful man," and this needs no further com- 

 ment as a stimulating cause to future wider action. Second, 

 the slightly added family wealth, like the greater growth of 

 one root over another, would give new possibilities for barter — 

 alike internal and external. Third, his family would afford 

 to secure finer life accessories, such as dress, hut, ornaments, 

 and so they would socially foster wider proenvironal plans. 

 Fourth, increased currents of energy would tingle through 

 the merchant's o^vn frame, for success ever brings energizing 

 exhilaration. "Nothing succeeds like success." Fifth, love 

 for his family would cause him to proenviron the best possible 

 picture for their future family greatness. 



These and other mental stimuli would gradually combine 

 into an inciting resultant response in the form of plans for 



