THE TRIUMPH OF LIFE 



tion, in the even course of things, — antagonisms 

 which as such even the lowest animal perceived, 

 his deep thoughts worked for a long time. 

 The dim conception of a double principle in the 

 world came to him, the one advancing, the other 

 checking. But simultaneously came the dim 

 preface of a still more comprehensive force be- 

 hind both, that of eternal necessity, which 

 turned every summer to winter and brought 

 every creature of his kind to death. And sud- 

 denly in contrast with these external powers 

 there came a thought to that strange being be- 

 fore the hearth fire, what art thou now between 

 these powers of fate, — ^What am I? Out of the 

 dark hither life of intuitive consciousness there 

 arose, like a great flame of light in his internal 

 life, the consciousness that would not simply 

 go along in a stream of sensations but placed 

 itself in opposition to things. Around is the 

 world with its powers, and here am I. That 

 thinking creature clasped his hands across his 

 burning forehead. Everything rolled darkly 

 around him. I, the poor miserable creature that 

 must die in the morning, I that nourish life, 

 that struggle and defend, that have kindled this 

 fire against the winter foe. 



So the primitive powers of life struggled in 

 this creature until they formulated creation and 

 death, struggle and love, for the first time on 

 this planet. Now shall all of this, this result 



