EDITORIAL AND GENERAL. 



177 



"What is Arcadia?" he inquired. 



"Didn't you read the circular?" said 

 the lady. 



"No ; never saw one." 



"But then you have seen the build- 

 ings next to the post-office?" 



"There are no buildings next to the 

 post-office ; always been a vacant lot." 



"What!" she exclaimed. "You do 

 not mean to affirm that you have not 

 seen those buildings in the process of 

 erection for the last four months?" 



"I tell you there are none." 



The argument grew warm until the 

 man, embarrassed by the laughter of 

 the other members of the family, said 

 in self-defense that he steered his own 

 automobile and always had to give 

 close attention to his "machine" in 

 that crowded part of the street near 

 the station, Therefore, etc. 



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Now I do not tell his story to laugh 

 at the man as did the members of his 

 family and others, but rather to express 

 sympathy and to excuse him. There 

 are millions of human beings in his 

 condition — going through life so intent 

 on ways and means, on strictly utili- 

 tarian "steering" (and they do not all 

 run automobiles) that they see nothing 

 of interest to the right nor to the left. 

 New stars might appear or the Great 

 Dipper or Scorpio vanish unnoticed. 

 Neglected flowers stretch forth in in- 

 vitation from every wayside and field, 

 insects buzz their attractions, birds 

 sing their welcome ; still the eyes are 

 fixed in but one direction. The own- 

 ers of such eyes have been seeing but 

 have never seen, living but never lived 

 in the broadest sense, been through 

 the world but never in it, been — but 

 what is the use in continuing! Every 

 observer knows all that I would say 

 if I should write columns more, knows 

 all that I realize of the needs of this 

 Arcadia in helping people to see on all 

 sides, to live a full life, to get into tune 

 with the Infinite, to reap a harvest of 

 beauty and instruction and inspira- 

 tion. 



Yes, Arcadia is needed and we thank 

 that automobilist for so good a 

 demonstration of one phase of its need. 



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Perhaps, in truest art, I should stop 



just here, happy that the text was 

 given, content that my little sermon 

 has been preached, that the moral is 

 self-evident. But I cannot refrain from 

 shouting out again, you throngs every- 

 where rushing by, nature is here, here 

 for you ; it is worth your thought and 

 time to investigate ; the true natural- 

 ist invites you to more than a fad, to 

 more than a collector's spirit, to more 

 than delving in things disagreeable or 

 uncanny. He offers you life in all its 

 fullness ; he offers you relief from the 

 strain of always looking out for the 

 road and the jostlings and the colli- 

 sions. 



It Has Been Discovered. 



Listen, my nature study teachers, 

 to a modern fable. 



Once upon a Time for somewhat a 

 Long Time, a number of People went 

 to Search for a Hidden Treasure in a 

 Forest. Each member of the Party 

 Took his own Method of Searching, 

 according to Talents and Interests. 

 Some watched, a few dug, others Cal- 

 culated with Elaborate Instruments 

 and not a Few Sat Negligently under 

 the Trees with Apparent Interest and 

 Said, "Hugh! You'll never find it!" 

 Occasionally all stopped and met in 

 little groups or larger Congress to Dis- 

 cuss the Prospects and Progress. 

 Suddenly a small group of workers 

 shouted exultantly, "Here it is." Then 

 gladly ran to their aid a few others 

 singly and in little parties. But many 

 especially those under the trees and 

 not a few more Diligent Workers 

 only glanced that way and Casually 

 said, "Oh, Pshaw ! They haven't got 

 it ; we won't go to see. I almost hope 

 they haven't for, even if they have, 

 it would not be so much to our credit 

 as to idle and hunt and calculate and 

 talk. We won't help them to get it 

 out ; we will Look the Other Way and 

 make believe it Hasn't Been Found. 



But not a few who ran Hastily To 

 Assist at once said, "It's even Greater 

 Good and Credit to land the Treasure 

 than merely to find it. One can Find 

 it but it takes many to Distribute — to 

 Make Available. 



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For vears we all have talked and the- 



