THE CELL AS A MICROBE 49 



the first stone. Stone after stone is so fashioned 

 and joined to the first using many different 

 kinds for the many different parts of the building 

 that when the final stone is laid, the temple 

 in all its parts is finished completely in harmony 

 with the original plan. 



So Nature, with a certain plan in view, lays the 

 first cell. Nature makes this cell its own archi- 

 tect. The plan is Nature's plan. This cell creates 

 and joins to itself another cell like itself. These 

 two cells create and join to themselves two more. 

 These four, four more; and so on, until the plant 

 or animal is complete. Cell after cell is so fash- 

 ioned and joined to the first, different kinds 

 being created for different parts, that when the 

 last one is added, the plant or animal, in. all its 

 parts and organs, is built up and developed ac- 

 cording to the ideal in view. 



Consider, too, that the cell is not only the unit 

 of structure, but that it also is the unit of life. It 

 is itself a throb of life the first form of life. 

 The bit of matter composing the cell, and having 

 such wonderful properties, is rightly named 

 protoplasm. The word means the first form of 

 life. The first speck of protoplasm on the earth 

 was the beginning of organic life on the earth. 

 By repeating this speck, all forms of this life on 

 the earth have been developed and built up. 



Therefore, as every plant or animal on the earth 

 is composed of tiny bits of protoplasm pent up in 

 minute sacs, and as every one of these bits is a 



