134 'fHE COMING OF MAN 



Their humor is a symptom of long experience well used, 

 of shrewd, broad views, kindly amused sympathy and right 

 perspective; in one word, of wisdom. They seem to think 

 that the chief reward of Hfe, if not its chief end, is the joy 

 of living. Somehow they find or make it exceedingly attrac- 

 tive, even if their " success " in life may not equal that of 

 men who through exploitation and over-adaptation have at- 

 tained dominance. 



They are especially attractive to youth. We found it good 

 to be with them, for virtue and healing went out from them. 

 Their strength is " as the shadow of a great rock in a weary 

 land." There is always something infectious about them, and 

 people press to them to be infected; though they rarely preach, 

 and never have been caught setting an example. 



Is it possible that such men ^ are the real leaven of society, 

 rather than the reformers, example-setters, teachers and 

 preachers, educators, legislators and even the saints and phi- 

 losophers? Are they the ones who bring in the dawning en- 

 vironment of a healthier and better world with which legis- 

 lators and statesmen, and even practical men must reckon? 

 Are they the coming men? 



It does not seem impossible when we remember that when 

 law had proved inadequate and weak, and philosophy could 

 not lift men, and thinkers had become discouraged, a Jewish 

 carpenter threw one perfectly healthy, symmetrical and infec- 

 tious life into human society, which spread and seems destined 

 to turn this old world of ours right-side-up. If his audacious 

 experiment does not succeed it is hard to imagine what can. 

 It must succeed. Man is surely coming, though he has not 

 yet arrived. 



Let us not mistake dominance for fitness. We live in a 

 world of space, extension, form and size. Here bigness counts. 

 Of the extension, form and size of mind and life I cannot 

 conceive. We live also in a world of time, duration and du- 

 rability, hence of qualitative characters and values. We can- 

 not afford to leave time out of account as some of us seem 



®E. g. Doctor Edward Hitchcock. 



