334 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



ter and Saturn and the nebula of Orion 

 as among the most spectacular things in 

 the heavens, but the average visitor is 

 prepared to compare them with the 

 Fourth of July pyrotechnics. Time and 

 again, after gazing at that world thirteen 

 hundred times as large as the earth, with 

 its four conspicuous satellites, or at that 

 wonderful ringed world, the spectator 

 has asked, "Is that all we are going to 

 see ?" 



Recently, in showing the moon in favor- 

 able circumstances, at first quarter, an 

 intelligent lady said in a disappointed 

 tone, "It is quite pretty ; looks like a piece 

 of lace !'" To think that while she was 

 looking at volcanoes seventy or eighty 

 miles in diameter- and at mountain 

 ranges six or seven hundred miles long, 

 she could even think of a "piece of lace !" 

 A clear headed, efficient business man 

 visited the ohservatory, and thoroughly 

 enjoyed everything that was shown. He 

 had read considerablv in astronomv and 



could appreciate the signification of whai 

 he saw. I told him that most persons are 

 disappointed, that the majority expect to 

 see the moon as big as an elephant, and 

 Jupiter and its satellites at least as big as 

 a railroad train. 



"You are disappointed," he said, "be- 

 cause so many expect so much more than 

 they can see, and so few seem interested. 

 You say that curiosity prompts them to 

 come once or twice, and that a casual 

 glance seems to satisfy them. I can ex- 

 plain. This is a place for mental pleasure 

 and for the seeing of things with a men- 

 tal eye. Many who have good mental 

 eyes, or what are usually called brains, 

 use them all day, and when the evening 

 comes they desire a change. Another 

 class has not yet learned to find either 

 their work or their pleasure in the use 

 of their brains. The success of this ob- 

 servatory will depend partly upon your 

 ability to teach the people to see things 

 mentally, and largely upon their ability 

 to find pleasure in such seeing." 



The Sound Beach Astronomical Observatory is Com- 

 pleted and All Bills are Paid 



The Total Cost $1,239.63 



Total of Contributions 1,042.43 



Borrowed from the AA General $ 197.20 



(Our friends will kindly aid on this amount that is needed for current expenses 

 of the general work of The Agassiz Association.) 



Classified Contributions. 



Sound Beach $ 101.85 



Greenwich 221.00 



Stamford 152.00 



Elsewhere in Connecticut . . 59-00 



California i.oo 



Maine .20 



Massachusetts 176.00 



Missouri 10.00 



New Jersey 20.00 



New York 1 13-50 



Ohio 179.88 



Oklahoma 5.00 



Pennsylvania ii.oo 



Texas 2.00 



Paid 

 Telescope and Accessories . .$ 778.00 

 Clerical Work, Printing and 



Postage 98-25 



Foundation, Building and 



Furnishings 363.38 



Total Pledged $1,052.43 



Unpaid 10.00 



Total Cost .$1,239.63 



Continued Contributions. 

 Masters Edwin Warren and 



Robert Newton Lewis, 



Greenwich $ i.OO 



King's Daughters' Circle of 



Sound Beach 5.00 



Mr. John H. Sage, Portland, 



Conn 5.00 



Total 



11.00 



Collected .$1,042.43 



Borrowed from the AA ^^ - , , , , , ^ 



General 197.20 Previously acknowledged ...$1,041.43 



Total Cost $1,239.63 Grand Total $1,052.43 



