The wonderful power of abstract reasoning. Slowness of development in man.

self, whose image he bears in possessing this attribute. This power of generalizing facts is developed earlier than is generally supposed. It is of course feeble at first, and has a narrow range; but it very early shows itself sufficiently to indicate to us clearly, that the child's mind differs essentially from that of the brute. And when disease or original physical defect prevents its development, we see the mental deficiency, and the consequent resemblance of the child in mental character to the inferior animals.

556. When this characteristic power of the mind of man is fully developed, its achievements are often so wonderful, that they give us some realization of the great truth, that man is created in the image of God. As we witness the demonstration of such facts as Newton discovered, or the unerring calculations of an eclipse, or listen to a perfect argument as it develops grand truths, and leads us with a majesty of thought almost divine, straight on to mighty conclusions, we take in the full meaning of the assertion, that "the soul is that side of our nature which is in relation with the Infinite," and we see the folly of those dreamers in science, that look upon man as making merely the highest order in the animal kingdom. We see that the chasm between him and other animals is truly "impassable." We

We see that we are in a mental region of which the most intelligent of them know nothing-that though they live like us, having the same senses, seeing the same beautiful things, and hearing the same voices of nature, and like us have thoughts and emotions and desires, they are shut out from an upper region of thought and feeling in which we freely roam, and from which we look with aspirations unknown to them to another world beyond.

557. As the mental capabilities peculiar to man are slowly developed, so it is with his physical frame, and the powers that belong to it. Though man at length so excels all other animals, that they are subject to his power as their master, he is at the first the most helpless of all animals. He is a long time "in the nurse's arms," and for years he is unable to obtain his own food. He does not reach the full strength of his body and mind till he is more than twenty years of age. He is in strong contrast with other animals in regard to this slowness of development, they generally reaching their full capabilities in a short time. But even among them, it is to be observed, that there is a difference in this respect, in obedience to a general law, that the higher the capabilities are, the slower they are in their development.

Difference between man and animals in physical endowments.

558. The differences between the physical endowments of man, and those of the higher orders of animals, are often very minutely described. But though strongly marked, too much prominence is ordinarily given to them. They should be considered as subordinate altogether to the mental differences. Thus, much is often said of the superiority of man in regard to the possession of a hand, on which I have remarked in various parts of this book. But why should he have such an instrument given to him? Simply because he has a mind which is not only capable of directing it, but which needs such an instrument to produce suitable results in its action on the world around. If other animals had a hand they could not use it properly. They have instruments of a different character, of less various capabilities, but such as are suited to their wants and powers. The same thing can be said of other bodily endowments. They are always suited in range and power to the wants and mental capabilities of the animal. As we trace out this general idea, we find that some animals have some bodily endowments which far excel the same in man. Thus, some have greater powers of vision and hearing than he has, because they need them. So, too, some have endowments of which we find no trace in man, as, for example, the power of flying. For the same reason most animals have special natural means of defense against the attacks of other animals; but man has not, because he has no need of them, as by his ingenuity he can contrive such means as he may require.

559. The physical endowments of man in comparison with animals are indeed wonderful, and correspond with his spiritual endowments, so far as gross matter can compare with subtle immaterial mind. We have looked at these endowments in detail in various parts of this book. Let us glance at the principal of them collectively. As the muscles are the organs by which all communication between man and man, and indeed all action upon the external world is effected, it is in the endless combinations of muscular action that man is most signally superior to animals in physical endowment. This is shown, as you have seen, in the human hand, whether it be looked at as an instrument for work or for expression. The same thing we see exhibited almost as strikingly in the muscles of the voiceboth those which by their delicate and accurate action regulate the vocal ligaments, and those which by their complicated action give the voice all its variety of articulation, especially the latter. But let us look at the body as a whole. Man walks erect, a

Beauty of the human form. Best shown when it is in action.

significant characteristic of him as differing from animals. And though there be grace of movement in many animals, it is not in any case to be compared with that which we see exhibited by the erect human form. The extreme variety of combination in the action of the muscles in man is one cause of this superiority. But another and the chief cause is the impress of beauty given to graceful action by the mind. Almost all muscular action speaks to us a language that comes from the thought and feeling at work within, even when it is unintended; and this is the source of a large portion of the enjoyment that we receive, for the most part unconsciously, from the graceful movements that we witness in our fellow men. And when in a beautiful and graceful form we come to add to the ordinary movements of the body, which are commonly, though improperly, considered as meaningless, those movements which are distinctively expressive of thought and emotion, we are filled with admiration of the wonderful capabilities of the human frame in graceful action.

560. The human form in repose, when in its greatest perfection, far transcends, as a combination of varied beauty, any thing that we see in the inferior animals. But its superiority in this respect is best seen when the intelligent and feeling mind puts it into action. And this is especially true of those parts which are most engaged in expression-the hand with its endlessly varied movements, but most of all the face. It is in this noblest part of the human frame that the soul of man, through the subtle agency of the nerves, most strikingly imprints its immaterial qualities upon a material form, and exhibits the highest graces of motion in the delicate and ever varying play of the muscles. And when in the impassioned speaker, while the muscles of the voice and articulation are executing their exceedingly rapid and complicated movements, we see the whole frame in its motions and attitudes brought into consonance with the burning words and the beaming countenance, we take in the full idea of the adaptation of the human body to the mind that tenants it. Though the hand is commonly spoken of as affording the best illustration of man's superiority to other animals in muscular action, it is far from being as impressive an exhibition of it as this action of the whole frame. It is when the mind, through the numberless nerves that connect it with every part of the body, brings them all into its service in expression, that we get the most exalted conception of the excellence of the human organization.

Mankind all the same species, but presenting very marked varieties.

CHAPTER XIX.

VARIETIES OF THE HUMAN RACE.

561. ALTHOUGH, as we look at men of different nations, we find that there is a general agreement in form and organization, there are many points in which they strikingly differ from each other. "With those forms, proportions, and colors," says Mr. Lawrence," which we consider so beautiful in the fine figures of Greece, contrast the woolly hair, flat nose, thick lips, the retreating forehead, advancing jaws, and black skin of the negro; or the broad square face, narrow oblique eyes, beardless chin, coarse straight hair, and olive color of the Calmuck. Compare the ruddy and sanguine European with the jet black African, the red man of America, the yellow Mongolian, or the brown South Sea Islander; the gigantic Patagonian to the dwarfish Laplander; the highly civilized nations of Europe, so conspicuous in arts, science, literature, in all that can strengthen and adorn society, or exalt and dignify human nature, to a troop of naked, shivering, and starved New Hollanders, a horde of filthy Hottentots, or the whole of the more or less barbarous tribes, that cover nearly the entire continent of Africa;—and although we must refer them all to the same species, they differ so remarkably from each other as to admit of being classed into a certain number of great varieties; but with regard to the precise number, naturalists have differed materially." Cuvier admitted but three varieties, the Caucasian, Negro, and Mongolian. The more commonly received classification, however, is that of Blumenbach, who makes five varieties, viz., the Caucasian, Ethiopian, Mongolian, American, and Malay.

562. The chief characteristic of the Caucasian variety is the fine form of the head, it being nearly oval, as you view it from the front. It is also characterized by a great range of variations of the color both of the skin and the hair. There has been more of civilization and improvement of every kind in this race than in any of the others. It is mentally superior to the other races. It is called Caucasian from Mount Caucasus, from the vicinity of which, it is supposed, it originated. Even at the present day it is said that the characteristics of this race are

Blumenbach's classification-most commonly received.

most perfectly developed in the Georgians and Circassians, who live in the neighborhood of this range of mountains, and who are considered the handsomest people in the world.

563. The Ethiopian variety is quite in contrast with the Caucasian. The organization has not the perfection and elegance which the Caucasian presents, and it shows an approximation to the higher orders of the inferior animals. The skull is small. The forehead is retreating, while the face below is projecting, the cheek bones being prominent, and the nose broad. The apparatus of the senses is thus fully developed, while the brain is less than in the Caucasian. The hair is black, oily, and frizzled. It is commonly said to be woolly, but it is really not so. Dr. Carpenter says that "microscopic examination clearly demonstrates that the hair of the negro has exactly the same structure with that of the European, and that it does not bear any resemblance to wool save in its crispiness and its tendency to curl." The skin is generally black; but not so in all the race, for the Caffirs and the Hottentots are yellow.

564. The Mongolian variety, of which the Chinese race forms the largest family, is characterized by prominent broad cheek bones, flat square face, small oblique eyes, straight black hair, scanty beard, and olive skin.

565. The American variety is characterized by high cheek bones, a narrow low forehead, features large and bold, except the eyes, which are deeply sunken in large sockets, hair generally black, stiff and straight, and complexion varying from a crimson brown to a deep copper.

566. The Malay variety, which occupies the Islands south of Asia, in the Indian and Pacific oceans, has not so well marked characteristics as the other varieties. The complexion is brown, varying from a light tawny to almost black, the hair is black and thick, the forehead is low and round, the nose is full and broad, the nostrils wide, and the mouth large.

567. Other classifications have been made, in some of which the human race is divided into many more varieties. Any classification must be in a great measure arbitrary, and must be regarded rather as a convenience, than as having the definite and invariable character which belongs to truly scientific distinctions. In each of the five divisions of Blumenbach there is great diversity. Thus, in the Caucasian variety, the English, the French, the German, the Irish, &c., are quite distinct from each other. And we sometimes see very striking characteristic marks separating single families from others. The