And
Every Creature I Watched, From The Great Soaring Bird Circling In The
Sky At A Vast Altitude To The
Little life at my feet, was brought into
the argument, and was a type, representing a group marked by a
Family
likeness not only in figure and colouring and language, but in mind as
well, in habits and the most trivial traits and tricks of gesture and
so on; the entire group in its turn related to another group, and to
others, still further and further away, the likeness growing less and
less. What explanation was possible but that of community of descent?
How incredible it appeared that this had not been seen years ago - yes,
even before it was discovered that the world was round and was one of
a system of planets revolving round the sun. All this starry knowledge
was of little or no importance compared to that of our relationship
with all the infinitely various forms of life that share the earth
with us. Yet it was not till the second half of the nineteenth century
that this great, almost self-evident truth had won a hearing in the
world!
No doubt this is a common experience: no sooner has the inquirer been
driven to accept a new doctrine than it takes complete possession of
his mind, and has not then the appearance of a strange and unwelcome
guest, but rather that of a familiar friendly one, and is like a long-
established housemate. I suppose the explanation is that when we throw
open the doors to the new importunate visitor, it is virtually a
ceremony, since the real event has been already accomplished, the
guest having stolen in by some other way and made himself at home in
the sub-conscious mind.
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