THE EARTH'S MOLD BLANKET. 237 



and able to give life and material for growth 

 unto new objects. 



This is the resurrection of nature, the life 

 everlasting this turning over and over of old 

 matter into new, which becomes old and is again 

 made new by the procession of the seasons the 

 hand of eternity. For to-morrow and to-morrow 

 and to-morrow, ever recurring, eve*r coming and 

 going, make up eternity. I live that another of 

 my kind may be begotten and live. I die that 

 another of my kind, or of some other kind that 

 will make food and store energy for some future 

 being of my kind, may be begotten and live. 

 These processes, these rotations of nature, are 

 as continuous, as old as time. From the begin- 

 ning have they each year, each century, gone on 

 and on and on in never ceasing progression. 

 Back then to the two great primal laws of * ' mat- 

 ter indestructible' 7 and " energy transmutable" 

 must the life everlasting be referred. 



And how wide spread the mold blanket of 

 this old sphere on which we, lowly parasites, 

 have our being for a little time, then nod and 

 dream and die. Wherever life has been, or the 

 remnants of life have been borne, there life to- 

 day can be. Only w^here exists bare rock too 

 steep or hard for lichen or moss to gain a foot- 

 hold sands whose crystal grains reflect the sun- 

 light with unwonted vigor, or ice seemingly too 



