XIV 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



LECTURES BY EDWARD F. BIGELOW 



Dr. David R. Lee, Director, Summer 

 School of the University of Chatta- 

 nooga. Chattanooga, Tennessee. 



I have thought again and again of 

 the wonderful week you gave vis in 

 June. The auditorium was well filled 

 at the first of your five lectures but 

 when you gave your fifth lecture of the 

 week on Friday you will remember 

 that there was not standing room after 



the appointed hour. This was a source 

 of deepest satisfaction to me. 



You captured our teachers because 

 you did more than give them lectures. 

 You gave yourself. You have the mis- 

 sionary spirit of Nature as the good 

 men of old had it for the Gospel. You 

 were not content with the mere en- 

 richment of our minds but deeply im- 

 pressed the message of river and for- 

 ests upon our afifections. 



Your stereopticon slides, even had 

 not a word accompanied them, would 

 have repaid a long journey and a large 

 sacrifice of a teacher's usually pitiful 

 savings, but when there was added to 

 these a delivery that was as irresistible 

 as a torrent and an enthusiasm clearly 

 born of deep study and long intimate 

 acquaintance with God's out-of-doors, 

 it was no exaggeration when a teacher 

 said as she left the hall after one of 

 your talks, "These lectvires alone are 

 worth the whole cost of our attendance 

 at the Summer School." 



You surely have a style of your own, 

 a style unique and unusually eflr'ective. 

 to the persuasive grip of which your 

 audiences yield themselves with ready 

 cheerfulness. 



Wholesome, inspiring, awakening, 

 refreshing were these talks. They were 

 just what our teachers needed. Keep 

 Chattanooga on your Icture list. 



Dr Bigelow has stirred the hearts 

 of the school teacher to a greater reali- 

 zation than any other speaker that has 

 been at the Summer School in many a 

 season. All of his lectures were poeti- 

 cal, inspirational and educational. — 

 University of Tennessee weekly publi- 

 cation. "The Orange and White." 



A Letter from Dr. David R. Lee, Sum- 

 mer School, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 

 to Professor Harry Clark, Knoxville, 

 Tennessee, and published by him in 

 the city papers. 

 My dear Clark : 



You can little guess the treat that is 

 in store for you and your Summer 

 School in the lectures by Dr. Bigelow. 

 He is irresistible, and from the opening 

 sentence holds his audience in a most 

 willing attention. His learning (he 

 seems to have been an omnivorous stu- 

 dent) is entirely hidden by a most pop- 

 ular style, vivacious, powerful, pointed, 

 playful, and then again pumping tears 

 out of the most flinty listener. I wish 

 he could have stayed two weeks here. 

 His audiences grew daily, and on Fri- 

 day there was no room for those who 

 did not come early, gallery and all be- 

 ing packed. 



University of Georgia, Athens. Pro- 

 fessor T. J. Woofter, Superintendent 

 of Summer School. 



These lectures were a source of in- 

 spiration to many teachers. They feel 

 that it was a great privilege to hear and 

 to know so great a naturalist as you 

 are. 



Holds up "The Cup of Life." 



Dr. Bigelow sees beauty in the com- 

 monplace and good in all. He takes 

 the cup of life and holds it up so the 

 light may fall on every side. He takes 

 present day problems and discusses 

 both sides. There is one thing he does 

 not do — he does not attempt to definite- 

 ly settle these problems but insists on 

 each and every one doing his own 

 thinking. On hearing his lectures one 

 cannot fail but think. 



Dr. Bigelow's lectures are the most 

 widely discussed topic on "the hill."' 

 He is a most interesting personality 

 and he is "dififerent" from the usual 

 lecturers on educational topics because 

 he has not pet theories he is trying to 

 "cram down the throats" of the unsus- 

 pecting and ambitious teacher. — "The 

 Knoxville Sentinel," Knoxville, Ten- 

 nessee. 



