28 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



IlTERARY 



I—^andBIOGI 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



THE TWIN PERIODICALS. 



They were not born twins, but soon 

 became so, or at least the younger is 

 trying with all possible speed to catch 

 up with the elder, and to be so like it 

 that one "can't tell t'other from which." 

 And, to its discredit, it is succeeding 

 fairly well in that ambition. First came 

 ''Country Life in America," anxiously 

 awaited from its first announcement by 

 a host of lovers of country life. It 

 promised well and, to be frank, it, for 

 a time, fulfilled these promises fairly 

 well, and in many respects is mighty 

 good yet. It is at once a "joy and a 

 botheration" as one might speak loving- 

 ly of a frisky child full of animal spirits. 

 It is a pleasure to turn over the leaves of 

 ''Country Life in America" and to gaze 

 appreciatingly, enjoyingly or longingly, 

 according to the spirit of the moment, 

 upon beautiful pergolas, elaborate gar- 

 den walks, high-bred stallions, vig- 

 orous bulls, gorgeous automobiles, lux- 

 urious rooms and intricate tapestries. 

 It makes the gentle reader happy to 

 think that some one has such posses- 

 sions, or that persons really exist in this 

 world who can have them. There is a 

 satisfaction in knowing that some of 

 mankind can show such evidences of 

 superabundant wealth. But the country 

 life, alas! where is it? The reader looks 

 through the magnificent pages that il- 

 lustrate metropolitan wealth and is dis- 

 appointed, because he is seeking some- 

 thing that shall flavor of rural life, and 

 fails to find it. Yet "Country Life in 

 America" is the title of the magazine. 



When we were feeling decidedly de- 

 pressed at such portrayal or absence of 

 portrayal of our favorite country, a star 

 of hope began to shine faintly but clearly 

 in the east. "Suburban Life" at the 

 popular price of $1.50 appeared in Bos- 

 ton. On the first cover page it set up its 

 standard of an open barn door, and down 

 the vista we saw a sleigh gliding along 



a country road. It was charming, and 

 we eagerly bought the first number, and 

 at once sent in a year's subscription. 

 "Suburban Life;" that is it. The city 

 on the one hand and all wild nature on 

 the other. Beautiful for location ! One 

 can tolerate half of metropolitan life, 

 if the other half is made up of suburban 

 walks, country roads and wild nature. 

 But the star moved westward, and stood 

 over New York. And like Thoreau 

 who, when he went to make his home 

 with Emerson, acquired, it is claimed, 

 his tone, his walk, and even the curva- 

 ture of his nose, so this second "Life" 

 came to be more and more nearly a twin 

 to the first "Life," for it moved down 

 toward Twenty-third Street, shall we 

 say, to be closer to its beloved ideal ! 

 And it, too, advanced its subscription 

 price to $3. It left just a distinguishing 

 bow of ribbon, as on human twins. The 

 number of ths second "Life" now before 

 me has a pink cover, while that of the 

 older "Life" is blue. That is the way 

 I "know t'other from which." Each 

 magazine is a delight, and both, like 

 some other twins, are a "bothera- 

 tion." Yet with all the joys and 

 delights embodied in each, both are 

 a disappointment. They are not just 

 to country life nor to suburban life. 

 There is something in the country and in 

 a suburban existence besides the arti- 

 ficiality here so extravagantly portrayed. 

 The writer has been a cash subscriber 

 to every number of both publications, 

 and hopes to continue, and no one more 

 thoroughly appreciates their needs, nor 

 more greatlv regrets their one-sidedness 

 and their shortcomings. It is on account 

 of the last mentioned conditions that 

 "The Guide to Nature" has become a 

 necessity. The very country, the shrubs, 

 the tangled thickets, the leaves, the wind- 

 ing roads, the natural vireo and the cost- 

 less daisy have long been crying out 

 for representation. No one blames the 



