THE EQUINOX
The Water Inspector rose jubilant, when from the body of
the Court came a still small voice.
“Might I respectfully suggest, your Worship, that the
water in question be examined through my Microscope?”
“What in thunder is a Microscope?” cried the three in
chorus.
“An instrument, your Worship, that I have constructed
on the admitted principles of optics, to demonstrate by
experience what these gentlemen are arguing about @ priori
and on hearsay.”
Then they both rose up against him, and cursed him.
“ Unscientific balderdash!” said the Water Man, for the
first time speaking respectfully of Science.
“‘Blasphemous Nonsense!” said the Inhabitant, for the
first time speaking respectfully of Religion.
“Wait and see,” said the Judge ; for he was a just Judge.
Then the Man with the Microscope explained the uses of
this new and strange instrument. And the Judge patiently
investigated all sources of error, and concluded in the end
that the instrument was a true revealer of the secrets of the
water. And he pronounced just judgment.
But the others were blinded by passion and self-interest.
They only quarrelled more noisily, and were finally turned out
of court. But the Judge caused the Man with the Microscope
to be appointed Government Analyst at £12,000 a year.
Now the Water Man is the Believer, and the Inhabitant
the Unbeliever. The Judge is the Agnostic—in Huxley's
sense of the word; and the Man with the Microscope is the
Scientific Illuminist.
Curious as it may seem, all this was most carefully ex-
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