Heredity, Variation and Genius 53 



that every mental fabric is ,in some measure 

 framed structurally to receive gladly intellectual 

 waves which agree with it and it likes, and to 

 dislike and reject those which are not agreeable. 

 Not in quality of feeling only but also in radical 

 modes of thought does the individual thus witness 

 to the specific structure and quality of his mental 

 stock ; and as a wish to believe something some- 

 how and a dislike of doubt or suspense are 

 instinct in human nature — desire being unlimited 

 while knowledge is limited — believe easily what 

 suits with its structural prejudice and believe 

 fancifully when there is not knowledge. An 

 innate gift in any case, not ever acquirable by 

 training or experience, is the melody of a beauti- 

 ful nature expressing itself gracefully with unpre- 

 meditated art. Moreover, as quality of structural 

 tone means quality of desire, and desire craves 

 vent on suitable objects, material or ideal, there 

 follow natural trends of beliefs and acts and the 

 consequent organic developments of individual 

 character as disclosed explicitly and certainly 

 in their life-histories. For such history, could 

 we but read it aright, is truly the explanation of 

 what is and the anticipation of what shall be. 



IV. 



Passing now from considerations calculated to 

 qualify the generally accepted doctrine of the 

 non-inheritance of acquired characters, I go on 

 to take reflective note of some simple facts of 



