The railroads of the world are fast becoming the truest and most reliable expression of national progress; and the intellectual advance in art, science and civilisation of any country or region of the earth can be estimated at once, and lead off clearly by a survey of these iron oghams cut deep on the surface of the globe. Along these grooves the thoughtful mind will be led in a thousand directions; for steam and electricity have transformed the world, and almost annihilated space and time. Europe is joined to America by bands of vapour and a coil of wire, while separate nationalities, once jealous of and hating each other, are becoming merged into one universal brotherhood, who claim the whole earth as their heritage and country; and all peoples and nations on the face of the globe are tending towards the realisation of the grand formula of an ideal future—Fraternity, Liberty and Equality for all the children of men—a powerful, united, enlightened humanity.

Every child born now is heir to a wonderful heritage of light and knowledge. Science is daily discovering new and infinite sources of wealth—special gifts lying latent in each country, by which a people could become truly prosperous if they only knew how to use them; so that if poverty and degradation and misery exist, it is man's sin and not God's curse, that has brought these evils on any land.