not waste any energy in asking how they looked from the
shore; and the suggestion is not an infelicitous one in its general
application to life. It is quite enough for one to keep his feet, as
best he may, set on the upward and onward way, without concerning
himself too much as to the effect of his figure in the landscape. The
energy that goes towards attitudinizing is always wasted, while that
which expends itself on the legitimate fulfilment of tasks contributes
something of real importance to life.

And so, any significance of achievement seems to be exactly conditioned
by the degree of energy involved--the finer the energy, the more potent
the achievement. It would seem as if all the noble order of success
hinged on two conditions,--the initial one of generating sufficient
energy, and the second that of applying it worthily.

The present age is characterized as that in which new forms of force
appear,--in both the physical and the spiritual realms of life. What a
marvel is the new chemical force, thermite, of which the first
demonstration in America was made in 1902, by the Columbia University
Chemical Society in New York. Here is a force that dissolves iron and
stone. An extremely interesting account of this new energy appeared in
the "New York Herald," in which the writer vivifies the subject by
saying of thermite:--

"Under its awful lightning blaze granite flows like water and big
steel rails are welded in the twinkling of an eye.... The interior
of Mount Pelee, whose fiery blast destroyed St. Pierre in a moment
and crumbled its buildings into dust, would be cool compared with
this temperature of 5400 deg. It would melt the White Mountains into
rivers of liquid fire. Nothing could withstand its consuming
power.... And what makes this stupendous force? The answer seems
incredible as the claims for the force itself. It is produced by
simply putting a match to a mixture of aluminum filings and oxide
of chromium, both metallic, and yet, as by magic, a mighty force is
instantly created."

The writer describes the discovery and processes at some length, and
adds:--

"Such are the wonders of chemistry suggesting Emerson's claim,
'Thought sets men free.' By a simple process--flame applied to
metal filings--prison bars melt and vaulted dungeons flow like
water."

The article closes with this wonderful paragraph:--

"By chemistry the