THE WONDER OF THE WORLD 



The Sense of Wonder. Perhaps even the most 

 "profane person" has some secret shrine where 

 he allows himself at least to wonder. What may 

 not the object of this wonder be the grandeur 

 of the star-strewn sky, the mystery of the moun- 

 tains, the sea eternally new, the way of the eagle 

 in the air, the meanest flower that blows, the look 

 in a child's eyes? Somewhere, sometime, some- 

 how, every one confesses, "This is too wonderful 

 for me." 



The sense of wonder varies in expression ac- 

 cording to race and temperament, according to 

 health and habits, according to its degree of culture 

 and freedom. Caliban's is different from Ariel's, 

 and Prospero's from both. But whatever be its 

 particular expression, the sense of wonder is one 

 of the saving graces of life, and he who is without 

 it might as well be dead. It lies at the roots of 

 both science and philosophy, and it has been in all 

 ages one of the footstools of religion. When it 

 dies one of the lights of life goes out. Keeping to 

 the outer world of nature, let us illustrate what may 

 be called the mainsprings of rational wonder. 

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