390 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE 



Surely, many utterances which have been accepted as de- 

 scriptions ought to be interpreted as aspirations, or as hav- 

 ing their roots in aspiration instead of in objective knowl- 

 edge. Does the song of the herald angels, "Glory to God 

 in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men," 

 express the exaltation and the yearning of a human soul ? 

 or does it describe an optical and acoustical fact a visible 

 host and an audible song? If the former, the exaltation 

 and the yearning are man's imperishable possession a fer- 

 ment long confined to individuals, but which may by and 

 by become the leaven of the race. If the latter, then be- 

 lief in the entire transaction is wrecked by non-fulfilment. 

 Look to the East at the present moment as a comment on 

 the promise of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. 

 That promise is a dream ruined by the experience of eigh- 

 teen centuries, and in that ruin is involved the claim of 

 the "heavenly host" to prophetic vision. But though the 

 mechanical theory proves untenable, the immortal song and 

 the feelings it expresses are still ours, to be incorporated, 

 let us hope, in purer and less shadowy forms in the po- 

 etry, philosophy, and practice of the future. 



Thus, following the lead of physical science, we are 

 brought without solution of continuity into the presence 

 of problems which, as usually classified, lie entirely out- 

 side the domain of physics. To these problems thoughtful 

 and penetrative minds are now applying those methods of 

 research which in physical science have proved their truth 

 by their fruits. There is on all hands a growing repug- 

 nance to invoke the supernatural in accounting for the 

 phenomena of human life; and the thoughtful minds just 

 referred to, finding no trace of evidence in favor of any 

 other origin, are driven to seek in the interaction of social 



