THE INTERPRETATION OF NATURE 



I ONCE saw two sisters standing on the doorstep 

 bidding good-by to their husbands, who were off 

 for a day's outing. One looked at the sky and 

 said : '^ I am afraid it will rain." The other looked 

 at the sky and said: ^'I know that you'll have a 

 good time." There was one sky, but there were 

 two women. There were two types of mind. 

 There were two outlooks on the world. There 

 were two points of view. 



The greatest thing in life is the point of view. 

 It determines the current of our lives. 



The satisfaction that we derive from the external 

 world is determined by the attitude in which we 

 consider it. All unconsciously one's habit of 

 mind toward the nature-world is formed. We 

 grow into our opinions and beliefs without knowing 

 why. It is therefore well to challenge these opin- 

 ions now and then, to see that they contain the 

 minimum of error and misdirection. This chal- 

 lenging of the point of view is the theme of the 

 text that I am writing. 



Nature-study, properly handled, interprets na- 

 ture. It does not stop dead with the. information 

 that is acquired. Tt^endeavors to understand as 

 well as to see. 



(90 



