292 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 



into being, but to those whose misery, already scarce^ 

 endurable, that creature will share and increase. But, 

 seeing that on each side men urge arguments which 

 seem to them just, neither side deserves to be accused 

 of wrong-doing, whether in the way of impiety or of 

 selfish disregard to the misery of their fellows. This 

 would be true even if the arguments on either side 

 really influenced the conduct of others. Seeing that 

 the whole discussion (except in so far as it spreads 

 among the many information which had been limited 

 to the few) can only point to facts real or surmised, 

 but can in no sensible degree affect conduct, it really 

 does seem that acrimony might well be avoided on 

 both sides. 



As to the plans of the Creator in this matter, which 

 some writers have been careful to defend, I would 

 submit that we know little about them, and, even if 

 we knew a great deal, those plans would hardly need 

 defence. It would be, perhaps, rather difficult and a 

 trifle dangerous to define the original divine plan of 

 population. The most orthodox must admit that 

 human intervention has to be taken into account, 

 whether as involved in the divine plan or not is a 

 matter of no moment, for in either case we come round 

 to the question how such intervention is to operate. 

 Although three children are born for each that grows 

 to maturity, it has not yet been demonstrated that 

 either early marriages or large families are essential 

 parts of the divine plan for peopling this world and 

 the next. 



