3IO EVOLUTION OF TO-DAY. 



up with him. The ape can even after this be taught 

 to do many things by imitation, but he becomes 

 thereby no more intellectual. The two human chil- 

 dren go on for some years, when, as a rule, the men- 

 tal growth of the negro stops. He can also be still 

 taught many things, but he is merely receptive and 

 not creative. The white child continues the unfold- 

 ing of his mental powers for some time longer, but 

 eventually he reaches a limit, at an age varying with 

 different persons. Some reach their intellectual 

 growth by their fifteenth year, others even earlier, 

 while others still continue their mental unfolding for 

 twenty, thirty years, or even more. By intellectual 

 advance, it will be understood, is not meant the ac- 

 cumulation of facts of knowledge, but the growth of 

 mental powers. A study of our public schools reveals 

 the significant fact that from the time the students 

 enter the high school, one by one they seem to 

 reach the limit of their advance. With such facts 

 does it appear that even this distinction is one of 

 degree. Man has simply carried the limit of his 

 advance higher. 



The various suggestions above enumerated were 

 offered chiefly by Darwin to explain the facts in 

 question. By some they are regarded as sufficient. 

 But by others they are considered insufficient to ex- 

 plain all that is claimed for them. Against each 

 position we find objections urged from various 

 sources. But since all these objections are sub- 

 sidiary to the general argument of those who deny 

 Darwin's position, we will not stop to consider them 

 here. 



