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placed it on a slip of glass in the usual way for a microscopic
examination。
One thousand diameters；he said； as he placed it on the stage of
the microscope。…We shall find signs of life； of course。 He bent
over the instrument and looked but an instant。
There they are！he exclaimed；look in。
I looked in and saw some objects：
The straight linear bodies were darting backward and forward in every
direction。 The wavy ones were wriggling about like eels or water…
snakes。 The round ones were spinning on their axes and rolling in
every direction。 All of them were in a state of incessant activity；
as if perpetually seeking something and never finding it。
They are tough； the germs of these little bodies； said the Master。…
Three hours' boiling has n't killed 'em。 Now； then； let us see what
has been the effect of six hours' boiling。
He took up another flask just like the first； containing fluid and
hermetically sealed in the same way。
Boiled just three hours longer than the other； he said；six hours
in all。 This is the experimentum crucis。 Do you see any cloudiness
in it？
Not a sign of it； it is as clear as crystal； except that there may
be a little sediment at the bottom。
That is nothing。 The liquid is clear。 We shall find no signs of
life。…He put a minute drop of the liquid under the microscope as
before。 Nothing stirred。 Nothing to be seen but a clear circle of
light。 We looked at it again and again； but with the same result。
Six hours kill 'em all； according to this experiment；said the
Master。…Good as far as it goes。 One more negative result。 Do you
know what would have happened if that liquid had been clouded； and we
had found life in the sealed flask？ Sir； if that liquid had held
life in it the Vatican would have trembled to hear it； and there
would have been anxious questionings and ominous whisperings in the
halls of Lambeth palace！ The accepted cosmogonies on trial； sir！
Traditions； sanctities； creeds； ecclesiastical establishments； all
shaking to know whether my little sixpenny flask of fluid looks muddy
or not！ I don't know whether to laugh or shudder。 The thought of an
oecumenical council having its leading feature dislocated by my
trifling experiment！ The thought； again； of the mighty revolution in
human beliefs and affairs that might grow out of the same
insignificant little phenomenon。 A wine…glassful of clear liquid
growing muddy。 If we had found a wriggle； or a zigzag； or a shoot
from one side to the other； in this last flask； what a scare there
would have been； to be sure； in the schools of the prophets！ Talk
about your megatherium and your megalosaurus；what are these to the
bacterium and the vibrio？ These are the dreadful monsters of today。
If they show themselves where they have no business； the little
rascals frighten honest folks worse than ever people were frightened
by the Dragon of Rhodes！
The Master gets going sometimes； there is no denying it； until his
imagination runs away with him。 He had been trying； as the reader
sees； one of those curious experiments in spontaneous generation； as
it is called； which have been so often instituted of late years； and
by none more thoroughly than by that eminent American student of
nature （Professor Jeffries Wyman） whose process he had imitated with
a result like his。
We got talking over these matters among us the next morning at the
breakfast…table。
We must agree they couldn't stand six hours' boiling；I said。
Good for the Pope of Rome！exclaimed the Master。
The Landlady drew back with a certain expression of dismay in her
countenance。 She hoped he did n't want the Pope to make any more
converts in this country。 She had heard a sermon only last Sabbath；
and the minister had made it out； she thought； as plain as could be；
that the Pope was the Man of Sin and that the Church of Rome was
Well； there was very strong names applied to her in Scripture。
What was good for the Pope was good for your minister； too； my dear
madam；said the Master。 Good for everybody that is afraid of what
people call 〃science。〃 If it should prove that dead things come to
life of themselves； it would be awkward； you know； because then
somebody will get up and say if one dead thing made itself alive
another might； and so perhaps the earth peopled itself without any
help。 Possibly the difficulty wouldn't be so great as many people
suppose。 We might perhaps find room for a Creator after all； as we
do now； though we see a little brown seed grow till it sucks up the
juices of half an acre of ground； apparently all by its own inherent
power。 That does not stagger us； I am not sure that it would if Mr。
Crosses or Mr。 Weekes's acarus should show himself all of a sudden；
as they said he did； in certain mineral mixtures acted on by
electricity。
The Landlady was off soundings； and looking vacant enough by this
time。
The Master turned to me。…Don't think too much of the result of our
one experiment。 It means something； because it confirms those other
experiments of which it was a copy； but we must remember that a
hundred negatives don't settle such a question。 Life does get into
the world somehow。 You don't suppose Adam had the cutaneous
unpleasantness politely called psora； do you？
Hardly；I answered。…He must have been a walking hospital if he
carried all the maladies about him which have plagued his
descendants。
Well； then； how did the little beast which is peculiar to that
special complaint intrude himself into the Order of Things？ You
don't suppose there was a special act of creation for the express
purpose of bestowing that little wretch on humanity； do you？
I thought； on the whole； I would n't answer that question。
You and I are at work on the same problem； said the Young
Astronomer to the Master。…I have looked into a microscope now and
then； and I have seen that perpetual dancing about of minute atoms in
a fluid； which you call molecular motion。 Just so； when I look
through my telescope I see the star…dust whirling about in the
infinite expanse of ether； or if I do not see its motion； I know that
it is only on account of its immeasurable distance。 Matter and
motion everywhere； void and rest nowhere。 You ask why your restless
microscopic atoms may not come together and become self…conscious and
self…moving organisms。 I ask why my telescopic star…dust may not
come together and grow and organize into habitable worlds；the
ripened fruit on the branches of the tree Yggdrasil； if I may borrow
from our friend the Poet's province。 It frightens people； though； to
hear the suggestion that worlds shape themselves from star…mist。 It
does not trouble them at all to see the watery spheres that round
themselves into being out of the vapors floating over us； they are
nothing but raindrops。 But if a planet can grow as a rain…drop
grows； why then It was a great comfort to these timid folk when
Lord Rosse's telescope resolved certain nebula into star…clusters。
Sir John Herschel would have told them that this made little
difference in accounting for the formation of worlds by aggregation；
but at any rate it was a comfort to them。
These peop