56 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



EDITORIAL 



Maturity and Old Age Better Than 

 Youth. 



When one hears an adult or an old 

 person eulogizing youth, when he sees 

 a child dancing along the sidewalk, or 

 running across the fields, when that 

 adult says, "That is the best time of 

 life," then he has not properly used his 

 years for the accumulation of experi- 

 ences. Eulogizing youth is like saying 

 that a green apple is better than the 

 ripe apple, a bud better than a flower, 

 a seed better than the perfect plant. 

 One that lives near to nature finds, as 

 Dr. Van Dyke has said, that the last 

 years of life are the best. 

 I am reminded to make this suggestion 

 to our nature-loving friends by a pleas- 

 ant letter received this beautiful spring 

 morning from Professor D. L. Earnest 

 of Athens, Georgia. He writes in re- 

 gard to the Editor's nature work and 

 his own joy in nature ; 



"The thing I most like about your 

 work is the spirit of it — you meet 

 nature with a smiling face and you 

 enjoy her beauty. You do not divorce 

 utility and joy — life is a time to be glad 

 in, and you know it and show it ! 

 Athens was never so beautiful as at 

 this time ; no spring was ever so bright 

 and pleasant. As I grow more mature 

 my joy in life increases — the more of 

 life I know, the better it is enjoyed. I 

 have discovered places fragrant and in- 

 spiring. I am not wholly spending my 

 time in pleasure seeking; this winter 

 I have appeared in public eyes seventy- 

 four times — I mean since September. 

 Not bad for a beginner !" 



In connection with this the words of 

 Thoreau come to mind : "All nature is 

 new in the spring, and fortunate are 

 we if it finds us new." The quotation 

 may not be literally correct, but it 

 represents the spirit of Thoreau's life 

 and of everyone, who, like Professor 

 Earnest, lives near to Old Mother 

 Earth. 



Since the above was written a letter 

 has come from Professor Earnest in 

 which he states as follows : 



"The reason the man enjoys life more 

 than does the boy is because he has 

 more with which to see, can understand 

 more, hence appreciate more. We see 

 with what we are and we are what we 

 have seen ; the sooner the beginning is 

 made the bigger and better and brighter 

 life will be. 



"Who is literary? Who is illiterate? 

 The book of nature is good reading; its 

 alphabet we have barely learned. Is 

 not he illiterate who has not learned 

 to turn and enjoy its pages? Nature 

 study is to see, to vmderstand, to enjoy. 

 If life is misery, life is worthless. Must 

 it be destroyed ? No ! Catch my mean- 

 ing; personally life may be painful but 

 may contribute to the joy of another 

 soul ; but surely unless one gets or 

 gives joy, his life is vain. Start to-day 

 if nature has told you nothing; she will 

 if you but cultivate her acquaintance; 

 know her and she will instruct you, 

 smile upon her and she will give you 

 joy. 



"As you older grow and know her 

 better Nature speaks to you more as 

 a friend and the best of friendships 

 takes vears for growth. God's book is 

 best for study and for delight ; the 

 thought of man seeks other things than 

 self as he grows more contemplative 

 and less impulsive, and it is not strange 

 that all nature is aglow with God if we 

 seek her face, alive with interest and 

 appreciation." 



Has the World Progressed? 



The Bulletin of the Brooklyn Insti- 

 tute of Arts and Sciences publishes a 

 rather remarkable article under the 

 title, "Do We Progress?" and while 

 we agree with the Bulletin in not en- 

 dorsing all the conclusions reached in 

 that article, we must admit that the 

 writer raises some interesting ques- 

 tions. We quote his opening para- 

 graph : 



"The late Dr. Alfred Russell Wal- 

 lace — he who quite independently of 

 Darwin thought out a theory practi- 

 callv identical with the theorv of nat- 



