THE PATH OF EVOLUTION 



house of nature, again to be drawn upon to minister 

 to new lives to come. 



When we consign the body to the grave, " the dust 

 to dust," it is not to be, as Job says, "that the 

 worm shall feed sweetly upon him," for a host of 

 creatures invisible to sight have taken possession 

 long before, and have begun their work. The grave 

 rather hinders than helps it ; but it covers up and 

 hides from our sight the changes that would offend 

 our senses, until their work is done, and the elements 

 through the medium of plant-life again may live. 



Considered from the above standpoint, Kerner 

 Von Marilaun (Das Pflanzenleben) justly says : " The 

 horror of putridity is inborn with every man, and 

 all that is associated with it, the whole brood of 

 Bacteria, are looked upon with half averted eyes. 

 It requires a sort of self-restraint to give to the 

 processes thereof that consideration which they 

 deserve. When we overcome our repugnance, and 

 without prejudice observe, we are forced to conclude 

 that to putrefaction properly belongs the continuance 

 of vegetable and of animal life. Were the innumer- 

 able plants that die within a year not decomposed, 

 but permitted to remain, a certain amount of Nitrogen 

 and of Carbon would be withdrawn from the circle 

 of life. If this were repeated from year to year, a 

 time would come at last when all Nitrogen and 



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