A Thousand-Mile Walk 
try as the only ones who possess the kind of 
souls for which that imponderable empire was 
planned. 
This star, our own good earth, made many 
a successful journey around the heavens ere 
man was made, and whole kingdoms of crea- 
tures enjoyed existence and returned to dust 
ere man appeared to claim them. After human 
beings have also played their part in Creation’s 
plan, they too may disappear without any 
general burning or extraordinary commotion 
whatever. 
Plants are credited with but dim and uncer- 
tain sensation, and minerals with positively 
none at all. But why may not even a mineral 
arrangement of matter be endowed with sensa- 
tion of a kind that we in our blind exclusive 
perfection can have no manner of communica- 
tion with? 
But I have wandered from my object. I 
stated a page or two back that man claimed 
the earth was made for him, and I was going 
to say that venomous beasts, thorny plants, 
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