278 The American Naturalist. [April, 



Individuals are at work gathering information in regard 

 to particular formations, correcting mistakes, advancing new 

 theories, devising new plans for more thorough and accurate 

 works and imbuing students with the grandeur of the science. 

 What is there more sublime than a science that reveals the 

 universe in all its beauty and grandeur and as the result of 

 the balancing of forces which emanate from a creative will ? 

 Geology reviews the history of the planet from the earliest 

 known formation to the present. Back of this it goes by 

 retrograde calculation, and hence we have a complete resume 

 from the time "the earth was without form and void," to the 

 phenomena observed to-day. It tells us of periods of time of 

 immeasurable duration, during which was being molded that 

 upon which it would be possible for life to exist, and over 

 which mind should rule. 



There is no science which presents so many problems to be 

 studied, nor in which so much of interest can be taken. It 

 carries one over plains, up the rugged mountains and down 

 into valleys. On every hand is found something new upon 

 which to concentrate the mind, and which demands a satis- 

 factory explanation. How came these plains, these moun- 

 tains, these valleys ? How came those masses of rock, thous- 

 ands of feet high ? Why is sandstone here, limestone there, 

 and granite yonder? What mean those remains of animals and 

 plants that are not in existence to-day? Why are those 

 masses of rock in every conceivable position ? Whence came 

 the waters and the land ? The plants and animals ? Is there 

 a reason for all we see? Are these things accidental, or was 

 there a purpose in their formation ? 



And so questions crowd upon us, and fill us with wonder 

 and admiration, and with a determination not to be satisfied 

 until they are answered. We see that law is at work, fashion- 

 ing the universe, and we have brought very forcibly to our 

 minds the fact that there was a purpose involved in the crea- 

 tion of the universe, and that from this realized grand concep- 

 tion is being evolved a divine purpose. That which at first 

 appeared to be outside the domain of law, is seen to be the re- 

 sult of the balancing of forces ; and we come to realize the fact 



