THE CIRCLE OF LIFE 7 



How then can we say we have a cycle? Merely because 

 somewhere along this course, from the early beginnings 

 to death, the individual has the power to produce other 

 young individuals. These are as simple and new as it was 

 at its own beginning. Thus a new start is had, and the 

 cycle is complete. The dying organism does not become 

 young itself; but some time before death it produces 

 others that are young. This is an interesting thing which 

 we are too much disposed to take for granted; the 

 offspring of parents however old are not of the age of the 

 parents, but are young. Why should the product of a 

 parent forty years old be any less than forty years old? 

 Here is the fountain of perpetual youth. It is the only one 

 we are likely to discover; but it is enough. It makes the 

 eternal circle of new individuals, v/hich supplies the 

 materials by which the evolution of the race goes on. 



IL Application to Ourselves. This chapter teaches that 

 a fundamental law of life is adjustment to surroundings. 

 This sounds rather simple, but it is not as simple as it 

 sounds, especially when applied to human beings. For 

 the things which make up our "surroundings," or 

 environment are many and complex, and the question of 

 right adjustment to them is often a question that puzzles 

 the wisest of men. 



The factors which make up environment we may roughly 

 classify as natural and artificial, meaning by natural those 

 fundamental facts as to air, water, food, light, weather, 

 etc., to which all men in all times have had to adjust 

 themselves effectively in order to live. By artificial 

 factors, on the other hand, we mean those facts of life 

 which have resulted from the activities of man himself; 

 the things which go to make up what we call civilization. 

 These are factors which change from generation to 

 generation, so that what may have been the right adjust- 

 ment for our grandparents may not be the right adjust- 

 ment for us. Chief among these artificial factors are what 



