THE YOUNG QUEENS 153 



very real force, the most real of all, and one that is able to 

 preserve an enormous and marvellous quantity and quality 

 of life on our globe by means so skilful that they surpass 

 all that the genius of man could contrive. Could this 

 quantity and quality be maintained by other means ? Is 

 it v^^e w^ho deceive ourselves when we imagine that we see 

 precautions where perhaps there is truly no more than a 

 fortunate chance, that has survived a million unfortunate 

 chances ? 



82 



That may be ; but these fortunate chances teach us a 

 lesson in admiration as valuable as those we might learn in 

 regions superior to chance. If we let our gaze travel beyond 

 the creatures that are possessed of a glimmer of intellect 

 and consciousness, beyond the protozoa even, which are the 

 first nebulous representatives of the dawning animal kingdom, 

 we find, as has been abundantly pi-oved by the experi- 

 ments of Mr. H. J. Carter, the celebrated microscopist, that 

 the very lowest embryos, such as the myxomycetes, manifest 

 a will, and desires, and preferences ; and that infusoria, which 

 apparently have no organism whatever, give evidence of a 

 certain cunning. The Amoebas, for instance, will patiently 

 lie in wait for the new-born Acinetes as they leave the 

 maternal ovary ; being aware that these must as yet be 

 lacking their poisonous tentacles. Now the AmcebEC have 

 neither a nervous system nor distinguishable organs of any 

 kind. Or if we turn to the plants, which, being motionless, 

 would seem exposed to every fatality, without pausing to 



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