22 IN THE DAYS OF AUDUBON 



under the Southern Cross, and enriched the charts of the 

 stars ! 



Society people took snuff in those days, or pretended 

 to do so. It was a sign of hospitality among such men as 

 these rather than habit, and a snuff-box was passed around. 



It was made of gold, and was studded with jewels. It 

 gleamed. 



" The Emperor of Russia gives snuff-boxes to those who 

 most benefit mankind," said the Knitter of Nantes to young 

 Audubon. " It may be he will send you one some day." 



The boy naturalist started. 



" Why do you dream such things as that ? It is your 

 heart that dreams. But how dare I to say it — I see what 

 I would most like to be in that man." 



" And ideals grow," said the Knitter. " It is like the 

 pattern seen by Moses on the Mount of Vision. The pat- 

 tern became a tabernacle, the tabernacle the temple, the 

 temple the church, and all was like a chart of heaven. A 

 man may do what he sees." 



The golden snuff-box gleamed as they passed it round. 

 Then the speaker of the society rapped on the table, and 

 the snuff-box vanished from sight, and all was still. 



Humboldt arose, king-decorated. Why did he thus 

 appear? He loved plants — the blooming earth. Was it 

 not as noble to love birds — the singing world? 



The " little apothecary " had studied the stars from 

 the crystal heights of the Andes. He would one day view 



