ii4 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS [Exp 



question merely an external one, or is it a change in essence 1 " 

 Ee not deceived ; you may have a total change in the outside 

 which leaves the subject of it still the same. Look among the 

 bushes there and you behold clearly enough the skin of a snake. 

 He has certainly changed. Yes, but only in his -skin. The 

 snake is still alive, and as much a snake as ever. Even this 

 modification of his external appearance too was (as it often is 

 with other existences besides the snake) a mere matter of con- 

 venience. The external covering just thrown off was not so 

 good as the one which was to supersede it, and which had been 

 in preparation some time. So as soon as the new skin was 

 quite ready the snake wriggled to the bushes most expedient for 

 his purpose, and by their help literally crawled out of his old 

 skin and left it there on the bush. A wonderful change no 

 doubt in one sense ; and yet it is one which is unattended by any 

 alteration in the nature of the snake. We often observe total 

 changes in the manners of society, and in the tricks of politics, 

 which are not at all important, and superficial alterations which 

 have no radical significance whatsoever. When the acorn 

 develops into the oak, the transformation is wonderful. But 

 when the snake sheds its skin, it is still a snake. The proceeding 

 is just one of those many surface changes which the world sees 

 whereof nothing important issues. 0. o. 



Boom for Expansion. 



The narrow dogma makes no allowance for the expansion of 

 men's hearts and brains, and therefore becomes obsolete. The 

 society which is based on rigid bigoted small rules and pedantic 

 formulas breaks up, because no arrangements have been made 

 for the inevitable expansion of the hopes and opinions of its 

 members. There must be room for expansion. This is per- 

 fectly well understood in the arts, and practical men make 

 proper arrangements in obedience to this law. The bars of 

 furnaces must not be fitted tightly at their extremities, but at 

 least must be free at one end, otherwise in expanding they 

 would split the masonry. In making railways a small space is 

 left between the successive rails, for if they touched, the force 

 of expansion would cause them to curve or would break the 



