A BACKWARD GLANCE 287 



Imagine, for example, that some all-seeing 

 camera had made a snapshot of nature's progress 

 each hundred years from the time when plant 

 life started in our world to the present day. 



Imagine that these progressive snapshots 

 were joined together in a motion picture reel, 

 and thrown in quick succession upon a screen. 



We should see, no doubt, as the picture began 

 to move, a tiny living being, a simple cell, the 

 chemical product, perhaps, of warm brackish 

 water — so small that 900 of them would have to 

 be assembled together to make a speck large 

 enough for our human eyes to see. 



As snapshot succeeded snapshot we should 

 see that two of these microscopic simple cells in 

 some way or other formed a partnership — prob- 

 ably finding it easier to fight the elements of 

 destruction in alliance than alone. 



We should see, beyond doubt, that these part- 

 nerships joined other partnerships, and as 

 partnership joined partnership, and group 

 joined group, these amalgamations began to have 

 an object beyond mere defense — that they began 

 to organize for their own improvement, comfort, 

 well-being, or whatever was their guiding object. 



We should see that, whereas each simple cell 

 had within it all of the powers necessary to live 

 its life in its own crude way, yet with the amal- 



