472 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



A Stone Wall Boulder Monument. 



["Why publish this?" perhaps the reader will 

 inquire. 



My answer is, for the same reason that I 

 photographed this unique monument of a 

 boulder in the stone wall — because it has genu- 

 ine, heartfelt, nature interest. This boulder is 

 next to the woods in an isolated plot. It 

 marks the resting place of one who lived near 

 to nature, whose life in some respects was 

 isolated from others and yet filled with large- 

 hearted, genuine, human sympathy. It is pub- 

 lished neither as an eulogy nor as a curiosity, 

 but merely for the rugged nearness to nature 

 and the pathetic, touching thought for which 

 it stands. Here rests the body of a man who 

 tried to write poetry, but who unconsciously 

 lived a matchless pastoral poem. 



The following was written, at my request, 

 by one who knew him well. — Ed.] 



The lives of men are like rivers ; 

 some flow serenely along with nothing- 



little gravel path through the sumac 

 and wild berry bushes that leads to the 

 quaint little resting place of his an- 

 cestors. His step was not as firm as 

 of old, and there was a slight stoop in 

 his shoulders, but the same merry 

 (winkle was in his eye. I spoke to him, 

 and he turned and stroking his long, 

 snow-white beard gazed toward the big 

 oak that borders the river, and beyond 

 to the golden sunset. 



"Ah, is that you?" he said. "You 

 see I am doing a little mason work 

 now," he continued, gazing at the chisel 

 in his hand. "I guess I am about at 

 the end of the journey." 



I knew where he was bound and 

 what he meant, but the twinkle did not 

 vanish. He knew he was approaching 



HIS MONUMENT— A BOULDER IN THE STONE WALL. 



to disturb the monotony; others rush the inevitable end, but it was part of 

 turbulently through valley and over the game, and he knew how to play it 

 mountainside to the peacefulness at the like a man. 



end of the course. To the latter class 

 belonged the man whose body rests be- 

 neath the odd tombstone on which he 

 engraved his name. 



It seems that only yesterday I last 

 saw him as he wended his way up the 



The mason work was : 



VAN BUREN LOCKWOOD, 

 BORN OCT. 17, 1829. 



The following summer, 



DIED JAN. 29, I905, 



was added. 



