The Journal and "Series" are such welcome guests to Scientists, and guests of such culture and idea, that one hesitates to present herself "in their midst." But after finishing — as I have just now — a sketch for a daily paper, it is with real relief that I write for readers to whom I can say — thought or Idea, intellect or Intelligence, mind or Mind, sense or Principle, death or Life, earth or Heaven, darkness or Light, and be understood.
It is said that it is hard to find scientific language to express Science. But language is not altogether material; neither can it be. And when we get a little understanding of Science the difficulty is to use language as we have been in the habit of using it; not to see the real significance in and back of words, and to express it when we ought not — where it will not be understood. We have to be as choice of language as of Idea. And if new and higher ideas come to us, language will come to express them, either in new words, or in new understanding of old words. New capitalization will do a great deal also.
Of course an idea unexpressed by word or demonstration, is almost as though it were not. There is this infinite law that we shall not be "selfish" in Idea. If one undertook to box up ideas as he can thought, — any thought or possession — of the mortal, he would certainly lose that which he boxed. The promise that we shall receive is conditioned on our giving. We grow only by expressing and demonstrating that which we already have. We cannot hide our possessions in a measure of meal, nor bury our talent. Express, demonstrate the problem of Life as far as we have solved it, and immediately we solve another equation. Thus it is demonstrated to us anew, that "Life is all action."
