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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



human beings. But it takes only a 

 minute of thought to show that this 

 cannot possibly be correct. Not only is 

 there infinite variety in the things of 

 this earth, but in those of the different 

 planets not only around our sun, but 

 around other suns. Even on our planet, 

 how vastly different are our present 

 methods of doing things from what 

 they were even a hundred years ago. 

 It is difficult to think away from our 

 own point of view. This infinite var- 

 iety undoubtedly extends to planets 

 and why not to universes. AVe believe 

 that there is a universe beyond this, 

 and another beyond that, and so on 

 ad infinitum. But why do we always 

 think of the others as being the same as 

 ours? There is after all nothing more 

 tiresome in this world than monotony 

 and an infinite Creator has steered the 

 course of events away from that, not 

 only in our own lives but in the possi- 

 bilities of other lives. In no one fact 

 are religion and science more strongly 

 united than in this. Science tells us 

 that there are no two things alike, no 

 two lives that are in the same environ- 

 ment, no two days in one's life the 

 same, and so it is going to be for all 

 time. There are "diversities of gifts." 

 "But every man hath his proper gift of 

 God, one after this manner, and another 

 after that." Other planets and other 

 worlds and other lives are so remote 

 and so different from these that we are 

 plainly told that "Eye hath not seen, 

 nor ear heard neither have entered in- 

 to the heart of man, the things which 

 God hath prepared for them that love 

 him." 



I have stood and looked at a horse or 

 a cow in the field, and have wondered if 

 I had not been familiar with them 

 from childhood if it would be possible 

 for me to imagine such an animal. The 

 same thoughts come to mind when I 

 look at the skeletons and restorations 

 of the huge animals of remote eons of 

 the past. It seems unthinkable that 

 such an animal as the Diplodocus ever 

 existed. Can there be anything more 

 astonishing than the denizens of a drop 

 of water? One who has studied them 

 for years becomes accustomed to them 

 so as to take them as a matter of fact. 

 But stop for a minute, and think how 

 these might appeal to the intelligent 

 adult who has never seen them. Ex- 



istence is endless but there will be no 

 tiresome monotony in our surround- 

 ings. It is evident, on good authority, 

 that we are always going to occupy a 

 place. We are plainly told, "I go to 

 prepare a place for you," and a place is 

 unthinkable without surroundings and, 

 according to all we know or can logical- 

 ly reason out, that place will be sur- 

 rounded by infinite variety and by won- 

 derfully interesting things, just as is 

 the place that we now occupy. 



Better start in at once if you have 

 not already done so, to find pleasure in 

 studying infinite variety. 



The remarkable auroral displays of 

 last summer, especially that of August 

 26, have stimulated an uncommon in- 

 terest in this mysterious phenomenon. 

 Reports still continue to come in, so 

 that at last accounts, the streamers 

 were seen almost simultaneously at 

 points so wide apart as Nova Scotia, 

 Washington, D. C, Nebraska, Oregon 

 and Alaska. In general, the southern 

 stations report the usual bright green- 

 ish glow, observers farther north saw 

 more vivid colors mostly red. 



That an outdoor life and an interest 

 in nature tends to length of days as 

 well as health and happiness, witness 

 the career of the late John Finlayson, 

 the explorer, for whom are named Fin- 

 layson River and Finlayson Lake in 

 Yukon Territory. He prospected and 

 mined gold in California and Oregon 

 till he was eighty-six. Then he retired 

 from active business, and went to map- 

 ping new country in British Columbia 

 and the Yukon region where no white 

 man had ever penetrated. Early in the 

 present year, he died at the age of one 

 hundred and five ! 



^ >jC i^ sfc ^ 



Worth recalling in this connection 

 is the fact that the earlier studies of 

 Chinese geology, about the middle of 

 the last century, were made largely by 

 Americans — Newberry and Raphael 

 Pumpelly — while even Baron von Rich- 

 tofen, who did some of the best pioneer 

 work, though a German, was trained 

 under J. D. Wliitney on the California 

 State Survey. 



