42 Life and Love. 



late their power of growth from a possibility to a 

 certainty. 



The fertilizing fluid once eliminated, peace 

 reigns. The brilliant coloring iades again to the 

 ordinary garb ; the season of love, of highest 

 inspiration, of most, tremendous vital activity, is, 

 for the time, over. 



Marvellous is this condition while it lasts, fortu- 

 nate that its period is brief, or how could the 

 fragile form sustain this raging fire? It would be 

 overwhelmed, consumed ; it would literally die of 

 love, as, in truth, it sometimes does. 



The fervor of love over, the parents no longer 

 feel the same attraction for each other's society. 

 The ordinary course of life suffices. 



But when love ceases in them, it begins its mar- 

 vellous work in their offspring. 



The egg-cells lie waiting, passive but eager. 

 The sperm-cells, active, eager, seek to become 

 united with the egg-cells. 



In each egg-cell it may be said is half life ; in 

 each sperm-cell the other half; and these two 

 halves in uniting become whole. 



Egg and sperm cells differ from each other in 

 other ways than the mere possession of opposite 

 attractive power. 



All egg-cells are essentially the same, no matter 

 what creature may be their source, while sperm- 

 cells differ greatly in form and activity. 



Compared with the sperm-cell, the cgg-cell is 



