VIII. THE STEM. 1 67 



which will thus attach themselves to familiar names ; 

 and their grasp of every language they learn must 

 only be esteemed by them secure when they recog- 

 nize its derivatives in these homely associations, and 

 are as much at ease with the Latin or French 

 syllables of a word as with the English ones ; this 

 familiarity being above all things needful to cure our 

 young students of their present ludicrous impression 

 that what is simple, in English, is knowing, in Greek ; 

 and that terms constructed out of a dead language 

 will explain difficulties which remained insoluble 

 in a living one. But Greek is not yet dead : while 

 if we carry our unscholarly nomenclature much 

 further, English soon will be ; and then doubtless 

 botanical gentlemen at Athens will for some time 

 think it fine to describe what we used to call 

 caryophyllaceae, as the eSXij^iSes. 



30. For indeed we are all of us yet but school- 

 boys, clumsily using alike our lips and brains ; and 

 with all our mastery of instruments and patience of 

 attention, but few have reached, and those dimly, 

 the first level of science, — wonder. 



For the first instinct of the stem, — unnamed by 

 us yet — unthought of, — the instinct of seeking light, 

 as of the root to seek darkness, — what words can 

 enough speak the wonder of it ! 



Look. Here is the little thing, Line-study V. 



