These religious people see nothing but designs everywhere, and personal,
intelligent interference in everything. They insist that the universe
has been created, and that the adaptation of means to ends is perfectly
apparent. They point us to the sunshine, to the flowers, to the April
rain, and to all there is of beauty and of use in the world. Did it ever
occur to them that a cancer is as beautiful in its development as is the
reddest rose? That what they are pleased to call the adaptation of
means to ends, is as apparent in the cancer as in the April rain? How
beautiful the process of digestion! By what ingenious methods the
blood is poisoned so that the cancer shall have food! By what wonderful
contrivances the entire system of man is made to pay tribute to this
divine and charming cancer! See by what admirable instrumentalities it
feeds itself from the surrounding quivering, dainty flesh! See how it
gradually but surely expands and grows! By what marvelous mechanism
it is supplied with long and slender roots that reach out to the most
secret nerves of pain for sustenance and life! What beautiful colors it
presents!