TheAscentofMan-CHAPTERXCHAPTERXINVOLUTION
MANYyearsago，intheclaywhichineverypartoftheworldisfoundunderlyingbedsofcoal，apeculiarfossilwasdiscoveredandnamedbyscienceStigmaria。Itoccurredingreatabundanceandinmanycountries，andfromthestrangewayinwhichitramifiedthroughtheclayitwassupposedtobesomeextinctvarietyofagiganticwater-weed。
Inthecoalitselfanotherfossilwasdiscovered，almostasabundantbutfarmorebeautiful，andfromtheexquisitecarvingwhichornamenteditsflutedstemitreceivedthenameofSigillaria。OnedayaCanadiangeologist，studyingSigillariainthefield，madeanewdiscovery。FindingthetrunkofaSigillariastandingerectinabedofcoal，hetracedthecolumndownwardstotheclaybeneath。TohissurprisehefounditendedinStigmaria。Thisbranchingfossilintheclaywasnolongerawater-weed。ItwastherootofwhichSigillariawasthestem，andtheclaywasthesoilinwhichthegreatcoal-plantgrew。
Throughmanychapters，ofteninthedark，everywherehamperedbytheclay，wehavebeenworkingamongroots。Ofwhataretheytheroots？Towhatorderdotheybelong？Bywhatprocesshavetheygrown？Whatconnectionhavetheywiththerealmabove，ortherealmbeneath？IsitaStigmariaoraSigillariaworld？
TillyesterdaySciencedidnotrecognizethemevenasroots。Theywereclassifiedapart。Theyledtonothing。NoorganicconnectionwasknownbetweenlowerNatureandthatwhollyseparateandallbutantagonisticrealm，thehigherworldofMan。Atoms，cells，plants，animalswerethematerialproductsofaseparatecreation，theclayfromwhichMantookhisclay-body，andnomore。Thehigherworld，also，wasasystembyitself。Itroseoutofnothing；itresteduponnothing。Clay，wheretherootslay，wastheproductofinorganicforces；Coal，whichenshrinedthetree，wasacreationofthesunlight。Whatfellowshiphadlightwithdarkness？Whatpossibleconnectioncouldexistbetweenthatbeautifulorganismwhichstooderectintheliving，andthatwhichlayproneinthedead？