94 The Ottawa Naturalist. 



heavenly bodies, or the reciprocal influence of human beings 

 upon each other. The discovery of a widely operative principle 

 like that which while it " Moulds a tear and bids it trickle from 

 its source," at the same time " preserves the earth a sphere, and 

 guides the planets in their course," is like a red-letter day in the 

 calendar of his mind's growth ; and whether as in the instance 

 given, it touches the material side of things, or like the law of 

 heredity which makes us " the heirs of all the ages," it goes 

 deeper and touches the " spirit in man vvhich giveth him under- 

 standing," its cognition is a supreme joy, and itself a pou sto 

 from which a new purchase may be taken. 



What we know as the sciences of Chemistry, Physics, 

 Botany, etc., are nothing more than the imperfectly distinctive 

 names given to different directions in which investigation pro- 

 ceeds. It is quite wrong to suppose that the universe is 

 mapped out into mutually exclusive areas for purpose.s of 

 research, as an unexplored territory may be divided. Every 

 so-called science overlaps every other ; and this is as true of the 

 so called physical sciences as of the metaphysical and of the 

 members of each group in relation to the other. For knoivledge 

 is one ; and there is no so-called material problem which has 

 not a spiritual side to it. It is true that every scientific prin- 

 ciple admits of a practical application, and no sooner does a 

 Faraday discover the laws governing induced magnetic currents, 

 than an Edison applies this knowledge to the construction of an 

 electro-motor. We have no fault to find with the utilitarian 

 application, but we would insist that from the only true point 

 of view — that of man's getting closer to the heart of things,— 

 the apprehension of a principle is the main thing. Of course, 

 the great mass of mankind will never apprehend and never 

 value the principle as such; but this is only to say that the 

 masses arc developed on the material side only ; — a fact too 

 freely acknowledged by us to cause any surprise. They will, 

 however, fully appreciate the practical application ; will run 

 their sewing machines and fans by electricity, and will invest 

 their capital in railroad stocks, and hope to realize big dividends. 



