148 Human Personality. 



itself and a descendant, far back, of a protozoon that once 

 lived apart from its fellows and was' capable of making its 

 way alone in the world, having matter-moving powers and 

 guided by a lowly intelligence which stood to it as mind. 



The present functions of the tissue cell of the animal 

 body, of muscle, bone, cartilage, gland, as we observe 

 them, do not imply a notable individual exercise or dis- 

 play of cell intelligence ; such exercise of intelligence 

 is potential in every cell, was once displayed by the an- 

 cestry of that cell, and might again be called into use, 

 if the conditions of its environment were altered and 

 demanded it. 



In brief, the tissue cell is like an artizan who has so 

 learned his trade and has worked so long in the same fac- 

 tory, making the same kind of goods, that he now works 

 with little mental effort, because it is not required ; yet 

 the capacity for other lines of work and thought still sur- 

 vives in him in some degre'e, although he would very 

 likely starve, or perish, if cast suddenly forth into the 

 wilderness. If the transition from his factory and his 

 habitual food and labor were made gradual, he would 

 adapt himself to the changed conditions. The capacity to 

 do so is latent in him still ; — and that is much the status 

 of the tissue cell of the human body as compared with its 

 ancestral unicell of the ancient earth. 



We are speaking now of muscle, bone, or gland cells, 

 in short, of any and all of the thirty orders of tissue cells, 



