HOW THE MIND GEOWS. 287 



sions from the first, yet these impressions are not distinguished 

 from each other. This vague, indefinite, homogeneous sensi- 

 bility or feeling may be called the germ-state of mind. As 

 bodily growth begins in a change of the material germ, so 

 mental growth begins in a change of feeling. This change of 

 feeling is due to a change of external impressions upon the 

 infant organism. "Were there no changes of impression upon 

 us, there could never be changes of feeling within us, and 

 knowing would be impossible. If, for example, there were 

 never an alteration of temperature, and a resulting change of 

 impressions upon the nerves, we should be forever prevented 

 from knowing any thing of Tieat. The first dawn of intelli- 

 gence consists in changes of feeling by which differences begin 

 to be recognized. Mind commences in this perception of dif- 

 ferences ; it cannot be said that we know any thing of itself, 

 but only the differences between it and other things. And, as 

 in bodily growth, so in mental growth, there is an assimilation 

 of like with like, or a process of integration. From the very 

 first, along with the perception of difference, there has been 

 also a perception of likeness. The clock-stroke, when first 

 heard, is felt simply as an impression differing from others that 

 precede and succeed it in the consciousness ; but, when heard 

 again, not only is there this recognition of difference, but it is 

 perceived as like the clock-stroke which preceded it. This 

 second impression is assimilated to the first, and, when a third 

 arises, it also coalesces with the former like impressions. And 

 so of all other sights, sounds, and touches. Under the influ- 

 ence of constant changes of impression, and a constant assimi- 

 lation of like with like, there arise, at first vague, and then dis- 

 tinct unlikenesses among the feelings ; that is, sights begin to 

 be distinguished from sounds, and sounds from touches, while, 

 at the same time, differences begin to be perceived among the 

 impressions of each sense. In this way, the consciousness, at 

 first homogeneous, grows into diversity, or becomes more hetero- 

 geneous^ while its separated or differentiated parts are termed 

 ideas. 



Let us look into this a little more closely. When an infant 

 opens its eyes for the first time upon the flame of a candle, foi 

 13 



