186 THE HEART OF NATURE 



the greatest artist ever does in any particular, but 

 still reaching perfection in a higher and higher 

 degree, and making the state of the whole of a richer 

 and intenser perfection. 



We have, therefore, ample evidence that Nature 

 is actuated by an intention to enrich perfection and 

 is continually working towards it. So we have 

 confidence that Nature, hard and exacting though 

 she be, is only exacting in order that the Highest 

 may be attained. We know that Nature is aiming 

 at the Highest and nothing short of the Highest. 

 And all the spirit of daring and adventure in us 

 leaps to the call she makes. 



And we respond to the call with all the greater 

 alacrity because we feel that the attainment of that 

 Highest is dependent to a large degree upon our- 

 selves. We have a sense of real responsibility in 

 the matter. And for this reason — ^that though 

 Nature lays down the great constitutional laws 

 within which man, her completest representative, 

 must work ; and though Nature as a whole formu- 

 lates the main outlines of her ideal ; yet man within 

 that constitution can make his own laws, and within 

 its main outlines may refine and perfect the ideal. 



Nature may be working out her ideal on other 

 stars through the agency of other kinds of beings 

 more perfect than ourselves ; and while the ideal in 

 its main outlines may be the same there as the ideal 

 which is working itself out on this planet, it may 

 there have assumed a higher form and be more 

 nearly attained. But on this planet the more definite 

 formulation of the ideal and the measures for its 

 attainment are in the hands of men. We can perfect 



