Suppose, in illustration, that, among ourselves, men and women, we 

 have in each of two adjoining halls, a company composed of several 

 couples; these in one hall consisting of two men, while those in the other 

 consist of two women; suppose the wall between the halls to be removed, 

 and the two companies to mingle with each other: presto, the couples 

 fall apart, and thereupon fall again into couples — this time, however, 

 consisting each of a man and woman. What should we say — what do 

 we say of such a happening? This, viz., that the men and women con- 

 cerned were possessed of at least intelligence enough to recognize the 

 difference between men and women; and that they choose, each the 

 other sex as an associate in preference to their own sex. Making due 

 allowance for the fact that, being human, we can understand and sym- 

 pathize with the feelings and motives leading to the changes last recited; 

 while we cannot definitely realize the elementary somxq^s of action in the 

 atomic changes heretofore described, the cases appear to be precisely 

 parallel. 



Taking this illustration for what it is worth, however, and returning to 

 our atoms and molecules; it will readily be perceived that the hypothesis 

 of conscious selection appears to involve the absurdity spoken of by 

 Newton in relation to gravity, viz., action at a distance-, for, although the 

 distances between and separating atoms and molecules are small beyond 

 comprehension, they are nevertheless just as real as the equally incom- 

 prehensible distances separating us from the fixed stars, or those inter- 

 vening between the planets and the sun. 



Observe, however, Newton's words are these: "That gravity should 

 be innate, inherent, and essential to matter, so that one body may act 

 upon another at a distance through a vacuum, without the mediation of 

 anything else by and through which their action and force may be con- 

 veyed from one to another, is to me so great an absurdity," etc. Now, 

 action at a distance through a vacuum without the mediation of any- 

 thing else, seems to have constituted the gravame^i of the absurdity; 

 but at this time we postulate an all-pervading ether between one body 

 and another, and between one atom and another, and surrounding all 

 atoms. 



In point of fact, then, whatever may be the worth or unworth of this 

 hypothesis of conscious and intelligent atoms, it does not even by impli- 

 cation involve the absurdity of action at a distance; it takes into account 

 that, between atoms as between stars, there is a medium of communica- 

 tion, the ether; it postulates just such action between atoms and mole- 

 cules, as all bodies, and we ourselves, severally exert on each other. 

 Do bodies of sensible dimensions ever come into actual contact? and 

 yet they unmistakably act on each other, as we see in the example of 

 the blacksmith's hammer shaping a piece of iron on an anvil. But 



