144 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



"WE LIVE TN A TENT WITH THE SKUNKS." 



This tent is in the yard with the skunks, but its occupancy is not made unpleasant by them. There' 

 are picturesque surroundings and all the joys of "camping out." 3 



From the commercial point of view 

 I understand that Mr. June has been so 

 encouraged that he will enlarge the 

 yard, extend his facilities and keep 

 more skunks. (He has taken his son 

 into partnership under the firm name 

 of I. M. June & Son.) There undoubt- 

 edly is pleasure in doing this, and prob- 

 ably a reasonable amount of remunera- 

 tion. Such competent naturalists as 

 Ernest Thompson Seton say there is. 

 I understand Mr. Seton has made a 

 liberal profit with his skunk farm. I 

 presume he has fewer skunks than Mr. 

 June, but that the dollars flow in with 

 fair rapidity not from sale of the skunk 

 skins but from his illustrated articles 

 that describe the joys and profits of 

 skunk farming. 



Yes, keeping skunks must be profit- 

 able. The United States Department 

 of Agriculture says that it is, and gives 

 a list of the benefits of skunks, and tells 

 why they should be protected, and how 

 to raise them for their fur. Doubtless 

 it is profitable, but I cannot bring my- 

 self to even think of entering into the 

 competition. In spite of all that the 

 United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture says of the profits I am large- 

 hearted enough to leave such money 



making to the other fellows. I could 

 learn to love Mr. June's skunks, but I 

 am afraid, in view of memories of those ; 

 early experiences, that if I were to 

 raise skunks they might not be such 

 attractive ones as his. 



Give Old Mother Nature a Chance. 



Escape from the shop for a little; 



No matter just where it may be. 

 Go out in the green woods and whittle** 



Or wander along by the sea- 

 Fly forth from the turbulent city 



And all of its dangerous ills, 

 And list to the jovial ditty 



Or birds on the burgeoning hills. 



No matter how much you enjoy it, 



Drop work for a moment and dance- 

 Go out for a little and "boy it" — 



Give Old Mother Nature a Chance: 

 Be noisy and fresh, and be jolly; 



Build castles of nothing but air ; 

 Drop worry and blank melancholy — - 



Escape from vexation and care. 



Go lie on the grass and just holler; 



Go laze by the babbling streams. 

 Forget there's a thing called the dollar,. 



And live in your visions and dfeams.- 

 Like mist of the night, like a bubble. 



Will vanish unquiet and fear; 

 And out of the sea of your trouble 



Will rise the warm sunlight and cheer. 

 — John Kendrick Bangs. 



