CHAPTER XV. 



somethi:n"g about public parks. 



Contact with and contemplation of natural scenery, 

 especially of pastoral scenery, bring positive refreshment 

 to the mind. Green pastures and si ill waters now, as in the 

 days of the Hebrew poet, restore the soul. This is a funda- 

 mental truth, and, 'therefore, it has profound practical 



importance. 



W. A. Stiles. 



It is a mistake to suppose that the value of charming 

 natural scenery lies wholly in the inducement which it pre- 

 sents to a chaiiy:e of mental occupations, exercise and air- 

 taking. Besides and above this, it acts in a strictly remedial 

 way to enable men to resist the harmful Influences of ordi- 

 nary town life. ... It is thus a sanative agent of vital 

 importance. ^- J- Olmsted. 



There seems to be a very considerable misapprehen- 

 sion and inappreciation of the uses of a public park. 

 In fact, a majority of people would probably say, if 

 pressed to express their true feelings, that, personally, 

 they could do very well without the parks. Parks and 

 public gardens are generally felt to be a luxury, and 

 suitable for the edification chiefly of people of leisure. 

 On second thought, however, anyone must see the mis- 

 takenness of such views, though it is still very difficult 

 to demonstrate tlie practical utility of public parks to 

 the skeptic. 



First of all, city parks have been likened to lungs, 

 which help to purify the air and so make breathing less 

 hazardous. Tliose who know how difficult it is in the 

 city t get i)ure water or pure air will know how real 

 such .: benefit is. Perhaps the country visitor, who is 

 used to clean air with plenty of oxygen in it, is most 

 oppressed by the snuffy, dusty, filthy stuff he has to 

 breathe when occasionally lie comes to town. But such 



