The Adam of Genesis 289 



santly invade and attempt to reclaim. He cannot 

 have even a small patch of lawn without standing 

 guard over it. He cannot have a rose or lily, a 

 cherry, nor a grain of wheat without a fight for it. 

 In sorrow and in toil must he eat bread all the 

 days of his life. That was a momentous commis- 

 sion which Elohim put into the hands of Adam: 

 "Subdue the earth and have dominion over it." It 

 was against the plainest dictates of reason to com- 

 mit such an enterprise to the hands of a soft-fin- 

 gered child. It was the ultimate of unreason, and 

 with a million chances that he would fail to one 

 that he would succeed; but Elohim knew and did 

 not hesitate. "Subdue the earth and have dominion 

 over it," both a great commission and a wise com- 

 mand. 



