146 Life and Love. 



again into single units, — only one primal tissue 

 remembering the old, saving method, and budding 

 off single cells to live and grow. 



So in all animals when there approaches the 

 time of diminishing growth, with the lessening of 

 the surging tide of life there is developed the re- 

 productive activity ; like the amceba, which, finding 

 its life waning, gathered its forces together and 

 separated into two parts, does the higher life, per- 

 haps as an inheritance from its single-celled origin, 

 concentrate its vitality in the production of these 

 life germs. 



Having been so abundantly nourished that it not 

 only could sustain life, but could add to its bulk, 

 it reaches a point where this vital power of storing 

 up and growing ceases ; and as this grows less, the 

 reproductive activity increases. 



We say the animal has its growth ; what is that 

 but saying its tide of life no longer is rising? 



It pauses at the turn of tide ; then follows a period 

 of longer or shorter duration, in which loss and 

 gain balance each other, the impetus of growth 

 sometimes continuing in a lessening degree for a 

 period after reproductive maturity. 



Reproductive activit}- is at its height for a sea- 

 son, the wave of life is at its crest, then the balance 

 is on the side of loss. Vigor gradually departs ; we 

 say the animal is growing old, — finally the inevit- 

 able cessation of the vital forces ensues, and death 

 results. 



