THE NATURAL PROVIDENCE 



a specific purpose — to scatter the seed far from the 

 parent plant. Every part and organ and movement 

 of a living body serves a purpose to that organ- 

 ism. The mountain lily looks straight up to the 

 sky; the meadow lily looks down to the earth; un- 

 doubtedly each flower finds its advantage in its own 

 attitude, but what that advantage is, I know not. 

 If Nature planned and invented as man does, she 

 would attain to mere unity and simplicity. It is her 

 blind, prodigal, haphazard methods that result in 

 her endless diversity. When she got a good wing for 

 the seed of a tree, such as that of the maple, she 

 would, if merely efficient, give this to the seeds of 

 other similar trees; but she gives a different wing 

 to the ash, to the linden, to the elm, the pine, and 

 the hemlock, while to some she gives no wings at 

 all. The nut-bearing trees, such as the oaks, the 

 beeches, the walnuts, and the hickories, have no 

 wings, except such as are afforded them by the 

 birds and beasts that feed upon them and carry 

 them away. And here again Nature has a pur- 

 pose in the edible nut which tempts some creatures 

 to carry it away. If all the nuts were devoured, 

 the whole tribe of nut-bearing trees would in time 

 be exterminated, and Nature's end defeated. But 

 in a world of conflicting forces like ours, chance 

 plays an important part; many of the nuts get 

 scattered, and not all devoured. The hoarding-up 

 propensities of certain birds and squirrels result 



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