EDITORIAL AND GENERAL 



65 



The Exploitation of the Trite 



Though we print conspicuously on 

 our front cover, The Guide to Nature, 

 the title of this magazine is often mis- 

 construed. At least I surmise such mis- 

 construction if I may judge from the 

 trite, diary-like writings that are sub- 

 mitted to us by many naturalists. We 

 do not want the repetitions of descrip- 

 tions of objects from nature that are 

 well-known, nor do we want an ac- 

 count of your individual enjoyment of 

 the sunshine, of the song of birds and 

 of the glories of the firmament. What 

 we do want is something definite in 

 your experience that will be helpful to 

 other naturalists who do not know 

 quite as much as you know. I doubt 

 whether there is any real nature lover 

 in existence who is not acquainted with 

 the Cecropia moth, or does not know 

 the surprisingly cunning ways of the 

 toad. Nor do we want the life story 

 of the monarch butterfly nor an ac- 

 count of the wood-cutting proclivities 

 of the beaver. But we do want you to 

 see something new and to tell it in 

 your own personal and characteristic 

 way. This matter of repetition of the 

 trite has been frequently referred to in 

 this magazine, but we have not said 

 much in regard to the equally objec- 

 tionable writing that may be designa- 

 ted under the general term "Inner 

 Emotions." One of the best parodies 

 on this style of writing is the follow- 

 ing which was taken from a local pa- 

 per and sent to us by one of our most 

 esteemed subscribers. 



A TRIBUTE TO NATURE. 



Dear All Sorts — The other day I took a 

 stroll through the fields and woodlands that 

 I might commune with Nature, and I ven- 

 ture to write you of my observations. 



The day was ideal. 



The sky was blue and there was not a 

 single cloud in its vast expanse. 



The sun was shining brightly o'er hill 

 and dale. 



Green grass clothed the pastures with ver- 

 dure. 



Feathered songsters hopped from twig to 

 twig or flew on airy pinions high aloft. 



The trees were leafing forth into verdure. 



Now and then a bee buzzed across my path 

 in quest of honey which nestles in the heart 

 of the flowers. 



After' a delightful stroll I returned home 

 deeply impressed by the beauties of Nature. 

 Boston. NATURE LOVER. 



"Nature Lover," your observations are 

 safe, sane and conservative. I have followed 

 you very closely as per above and I can 

 place my hand on my heart and testify that 

 you have not exaggerated in the slightest 

 particular. Theodore Roosevelt would never 

 accuse you of being a "nature faker" — no, 

 not in a thousand years. No reasonable 

 person will deny the truth of your observa- 

 tions. 



You say the sky was "blue" on this par- 

 ticular day when you observed it. I believe 

 you. That is a habit the sky has — being, 

 blue. Many others have observed this fact. 

 Just why the sky should be blue is not 

 known, but those who have made a care- 

 ful study of it know that it is, and anybody 

 who would deny this fact must be color' 

 blind. 



You also say there was not a cloud in the 

 sky and that the sun was shining brightly. 

 Correct again. That's exactly what the sun 

 does from morning until evening when there- 

 is not a cloud in the sky. Now, if you had 

 admitted the absence of clouds and then- 

 had said the sun didn't shine, I would 

 have been greatly concerned and would have 

 felt called on to investigate the matter. A 

 sun that would refuse to shine on a cloud- 

 less day is not doing its duty and needs 

 to be looked after. 



"Green grass clothed the pastures with 

 verdure." 



I am glad that you went on record as 

 saying that the grass was "green." This 

 shows that you are a close observer and 

 have no wish to mispresent the facts. This 

 statement of yours to the effect that the 

 grass was "green" will be accepted without 

 question by every reader. To have stated 

 that the grass was red or yellow or lavender 

 or Helen-pink would have brought down 

 on your head a storm of criticism from 

 grass experts everywhere. Even the layman 

 would have doubted if you had said the grass- 

 was any other color than green. We have 

 become so accustomed to seeing green grass 

 that it is almost impossible to convince us 

 that grass grows in any other shade. 



Also I am glad you said "feathered 

 songsters." Now we know that the birds 

 you saw did not wear fur. When John 

 Burroughs, the famous naturalist, learns 

 that you have described birds as wearing 

 feathers, he will murmur, "That chap knows 

 what he is talking about." From your 

 further description of the birds' you saw 

 I infer that they had wings. You say "airy 

 pinions," but that means the same thing. 

 Now, if anybody doubts your statement that 

 birds have wings, send them to me and I 

 will give them a severe talking to. You can 

 count on me to back you up in this matter, 

 until your critics can produce a wingless 

 bird. 



"The trees were leafing forth into ver- 

 dure." Right again! Every season about 

 this time the trees have a way of doing that 

 and anybody who denies it only makes him- 

 self ridiculous. 



