LIFE AND CHANCE 



push on, to overcome obstacles, and to turn the in- 

 organic forces against themselves, thus making life 

 strong by the strength of the obstacle it surmounts. 

 We cannot stiU the wind, but in our sailboats we 

 can use it. 



The extent to which the law of probability rules 

 in the organic world is seen in the fact that the pro- 

 portion of males to females among aU species keeps 

 pretty uniform. In any given city or country there 

 will probably be about the same number of deaths 

 from the various diseases year after year, unless 

 some means of fighting disease are employed. There 

 will be about the same number of weddings and 

 elopements, about the same number of defective 

 persons born, about the same number of persons 

 that reach extreme old age, and of persons above or 

 under the average height. The fluctuations about a 

 common mean in all things will be pretty regular. 

 Indeed, the law of averages plays about as full a 

 part in organic as in inorganic natm-e. It is prob- 

 able that just about as many boys will be drowned 

 while skating each winter and while bathing each 

 summer. 



In a world of pure mechanics and chemistry all 

 these things would remain about the same, century 

 after century. But the reason and soul of man intro- 

 duce a new element, and the dice are loaded, at 

 times, at least. Still, the law of probability plays a 

 prominent part in the affairs of men and nations. 

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