THE PRICE OF DEVELOPMENT 



development through the operation of this law of 

 natural competition, and the survival of the fittest. 

 Though marked by what we call cruelty and in- 

 justice, in the totality of its operations it is a benef- 

 icent law. If it were not so, how could the world of 

 living things have attained its present develop- 

 ment? If it were a malevolent law, would not life 

 have suffered shipwreck long ago? The world of 

 living things and of non-living still merits the primal 

 approval — "Behold, it is very good!" Not your 

 good, nor my good, but a general good, the good of 

 all. Nature's scheme, if we may say she has a 

 scheme, embraces the totality of things, and that 

 the totality of things is good who but a born pessi- 

 mist, a radically negative nature, can deny? Mixed 

 good undoubtedly it is, but is there, or can there be, 

 any other good in the universe? Good forever free- 

 ing itself from the non-good, or from the fetters of 

 evil — good to eat, to drink, to behold, to live by, 

 to die by — good for the body, good for the mind, 

 good for the soul, good in time, and good in eternity? 



From solar systems to atoms and molecules, the 

 greater bodies, the greater forces, prevail over the 

 lesser, and yet flowers bloom, and life is sweet, sweet 

 for the minor forms as well as for the major. 



Inert matter knows only the laws of force. In the 

 world of living matter, up to a certain point, the 

 same rule prevails. In the fields and woods the more 

 vigorous plants and trees run out the less vigorous. 



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