1 66 



THE CUDE TO NATURE 



ment and of our methods of work, ex- 

 pressing his approval of everything with 

 but one complaint, which is that so few 

 inquiries from children arc referred to 

 him. It is astonishing that a man with 

 interests so diversified sin mid actually 

 consider it a favor to be allowed to an- 

 swer inquiries from little children as well 

 as from teachers, parents and scientific 

 investigators. He is an inspiring ex- 

 ample to all students of nature, not only 

 on account of his vast store of learning. 

 as evinced by his almost innumerable 

 books and magazine articles, but chiefly 

 from his intense and enthusiastic desire 

 to be helpful to others, provided the in- 

 quiry and the interest are genuine and 

 sincere. 



My Last Talk With Peter Cooper. 



BY E. J. EDWARDS, NEW YORK CITY. 



Peter Cooper, who did the greatest 

 avi >rk of his life when he founded 

 Cooper Union, in New York, and there- 

 by made his name wellnigh imperish- 

 able, was eighty-nine years old when T 

 had my last chat with him. That was 

 in t88o, three years before he was 

 gathered unto his fathers. 



I had called upon Mr. Cooper at his 

 home in Irving Place for the purpose 

 of obtaining his views upon the green- 

 back question. The old gentleman was 

 a very earnest advocate of issuing irre- 

 deemable paper money based upon the 

 face and credit of the government. 



He received me very cordially in his 

 little library. He wore a loose morn- 

 ing gown, or jacket, and the heavy 

 lenses of his spectacles, which carried 

 side pieces, caused his eyes to gleam 

 with unusual brilliancy and to appear 

 of ereat size. He blew up an air 

 cushion to its full capacity, then seated 

 himself in a cozy chair and began to 

 chat in an easy fashion about the 

 greenback movement. And as T lis- 

 tened to him it seemed to me almost 

 incredible that T was seated before the 

 man who had designed and built the 

 first American locomotive, in 1830, and 

 the method of propelling canal boats 

 by an endless chain, and who was 

 among the earliest to promote the lav- 

 ing of the Atlantic cable. 



WORLD WAS BEAUTIFUL To II IM. 



\i length, and without showing the 

 slightest sign of fatigue, either physical 



nr mental, the old gentleman outlined 

 his views on the money question. 



Then, as I prepared to leave, he accom- 

 panied me along the passage leading 

 from the library to the front door, 

 which he opened before either myself 

 or a servant nearby could make a move 

 to do so. Passing through it, he took 

 his stand upon the broad too step and 

 looked with an absorbed counte- 

 nance in the direction of little Gram- 

 ercy park, one corner of which was 

 visible from where we stood. He put 

 his hand noon my shoulder — not for 

 support, it seemed to me, but to direct 

 my gaze where his was. Then at last 

 he snoke. and I fancied that half re- 

 gretfullv he turned his eyes to me from 

 the exquisite vista before us of that 

 little gem of parkland in the heart of 

 New York. 



"This is a very beautiful world," he 

 said earnestly, simply. "I like to look 

 out upon it, and each day as I grow 

 older and see with my eyes — somewhat 

 blinded though they are by age — the 

 beautiful things which God has given 

 us, and which every one may enjoy 

 without any cost if he will only 

 look. I realize more and more how 

 exquisite is the charm of nature and 

 what the world's perfection really is. 

 And as I have grown older I have also 

 come to realize that there is more of 

 good than of evil in the world — that 

 there is some beauty in every human 

 being, no matter how low he may have 

 fallen, just as there is beauty in every- 

 thing that grows. 



SERENE IN HIS LAST DAYS. 



"Yes, this a beautiful world — a very 

 beautiful world. I am now eight-nine 

 years of age. Not for long now am T 

 to be permitted to look out upon it. 

 Yet I hope to make the best of the 

 brief opportunity that is left me to be- 

 hold God's beauty all about me. It 

 gives me serenity and peace of mind to 

 see it and vet there is a lingering 

 regret that I cannot enjoy it much 

 longer. 



"I hope you will come to see me 



