Man in the Light of Evolution 



disheartened, when all day long we have been 

 fighting In the mist, how good It Is to rest In 

 their shade ! Their words may be few, their 

 " speech rude, and their bodily presence con- 

 temptible." But we feel their strength. We 

 lean against them for a little time, and we go 

 away refreshed, strong, hopeful, courageous. 

 Virtue has gone out of them and Into us. This 

 is no theory, but a statement of universal ex- 

 perience. 



There is no contaglum in the world like that 

 of a strong personality. We would not resist 

 it if we could. We would give anything to be 

 infected. Everywhere such men and women 

 carry strength and courage to others. One such 

 man Infects a whole community or race, molds 

 a civilization, and changes the course of history. 

 For this reason history is summed up In the lives 

 of heroes. 



If we have failed to realize this we may well 

 read our history all over again from the story 

 of Gideon and his three hundred to that of 

 Socrates in Athens, of Napoleon at LodI, and 

 of Sheridan at Winchester. Such men are not 

 merely beacon lights, they are makers of history. 



The same principle applies In literature. At 



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