138 THE NATURE OF NATURE 



vibrations, of which the most obvious are the vibra- 

 tions of light, to reach the Earth from them. These 

 facts point towards the conclusion that the whole 

 Universe, as well as ourselves and the animals and 

 plants on this Earth, is actuated by spirit. Good- 

 ness we have seen to be working itself out on the 

 Earth ; and there is nothing we see in the world of 

 stars that prevents us from concluding that in the 

 Universe as well as on the Earth what should be is 

 the ground of what is. 



Something higher than life, or life in some 

 higher form than we know, may indeed have 

 been brought into being among the stars. Life 

 has appeared in an extraordinary variety of forms 

 on this Earth, and it would necessarily appear in 

 other forms elsewhere. And it is not difficult to 

 imagine more perfect forms in which it might have 

 developed. We men are the most highly developed 

 beings on this planet. But our eyes and ears and 

 other organs of sense take cognisance of only a few 

 of the vibrations raining in upon our bodies from 

 the outside world. There is a vast range of vibra- 

 tions of the medium in which we are immersed of 

 which our bodily organs take no cognisance what- 

 ever. If we had better developed organs we would 

 be in much more intimate touch with the world 

 about us, and be aware of influences and existences 

 we are blind to now. Beings with these superior 

 faculties may very possibly have come into existence 

 among the stars. 



Nor is there anything unreasonable in the 

 assumption that from the inhabitants of these stars 

 in their ensemble issue influences which directly 



