The Unknown Pathway 267 



A. Reed was a pocket piece. "Nature Study and 

 Life" by Clifton Hodge, we fed to boys on Sat- 

 urdays around camp fires. This same unknown 

 pathway led me to the splendid pioneer work 

 on the "Economic Value of Birds" by Prof. F. H. 

 King, of the University of Wisconsin, unhappily 

 immured in a big volume on Geology and thus kept 

 out of general use. 



Again the unknown pathway led to John o' 

 Birds and John o' Mountains, Burroughs and 

 Muir. With John Burroughs we wandered and 

 lost our way, came back and started in again for 

 more little journeys in the wilderness of our set- 

 tled and cultivated States. Going afield with 

 others, you scarcely get beyond the sound of rural 

 life, bleat of sheep and low of kine, where Chan- 

 ticleer not only salutes the Dawn, but makes vocal 

 the passing hour; but "John o' Birds" takes you 

 where Dryads glide and Pipes of Pan are heard 

 where : 



"Long lights shake across the Lake 



And the wild cataract leaps in glory." 



With "John o' Mountains" we climb dizzy 

 heights, and cross impossible crevasses, sharing 

 the wild rapture of "Stickeen" and Muir it is that 

 shows us a dandelion and dear homey Cock Robin 

 cuddled up close together on his very own glacier. 

 My daughter and I are agreed that no other 



