124 NATURAL HISTORY 



always within his reach, who is able to select the 

 beautiful objects which nature presents, even in 

 the least-favored locality. Look at two homes of 

 men of equal means. One tasteful in form and 

 beautiful in location its shaded walks, and every 

 useful tree, and shrub, and plant, arranged with 

 regard to beauty ; every natural defect of land- 

 scape is softened, every beauty heightened. The 

 other is placed by chance, without symmetry or pro- 

 portion ; no plant of beauty is spared, and in all the 

 surroundings not a single thought displayed that 

 any natural object has beauty. The owner may be 

 conscious that his neighbor has a great advantage, 

 but thinks it his fortune, and no morq thinks that 

 he can secure the same for himself, than that he 

 could dig from the earth hidden coffers of wealth. 

 He knows there is beauty, he hears it repeated by 

 every passer-by ; but he can not put forth his hand 

 and secure it for himself, though the material sur- 

 round him on every side, simply because his mind 

 has never been trained to perceive the beauty of 

 separate natural objects. He is aware of it only 

 when they are grouped by others; and then, per- 



