4 Our Surroundings 



feel. We would have no comfortable houses, with all their mod- 

 ern conveniences. We would have no easily-made fires, for we 

 would be without matches. There would be no great markets 

 with food for our use brought from all parts of the world. We 

 would have no means of travel of any kind save our own feet. 

 We would be without books and papers. We would have no ways 

 of heating in time of cold ; no light to dispel darkness ; no clothing, 



United States National Museui 



LIFE WHEN SCIENCE WAS JUST BEGINNING 



as we know it ; no medicine for use in sickness. We- would be 

 without tools with which to build, and without proper weapons 

 with which to hunt or to protect ourselves. Our lives would be 

 a desperate struggle to obtain food, to safeguard ourselves against 

 dangers and to find shelter from storm and cold. 



Suppose, in addition, we knew nothing about the laws of health, 

 nothing about how to grow plants for food, and had little under- 



