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tal forest of glass and diamonds ; in all these cases how suited 

 are the trees to charm the eye and delight the mind ! Why 

 should not the eye be charmed? Why should not the imagi- 

 nation be delighted ? Why should we not take pleasure in 

 the beauty of God's works ? Why should we not do what we 

 can to make our homes continually more and more beautiful ; 

 and to multiply and fill to overflowing these innocent sources 

 of pleasure ? 



The country is full of poetic sentiment and religious moni- 

 tions. The privileged inhabitants of the country should seek 

 to rise above the mere drudgery of life, and make themselves 

 familiar with nature in her ever varying and charming aspects. 

 It will not hurt their industry, but it will cheer their toil to 

 study the benevolence of the Creator in the perfection of all 

 his works ; and, I trust I may add without irreverence, to sec- 

 ond his provision for the happiness of his creatures in multiply- 

 ing every where around them the forms of beauty. 



1 hope I shall be pardoned for the enthusiasm which I may 

 betray on this subject. Let those, who think my remarks out 

 of place, kindly pass them over. Penetrated to the depths of 

 my soul with a sense of the beauty of nature and the charms 

 of rural life, 1 am anxious that even the lowest laborer may 

 have his toil alleviated, his self-respect quickened, and a senti- 

 ment of the dignity of his own nature breathed into his heart 

 by a habit of observing and studying and enjoying the wonders 

 and glories of the visible creation around him. I cannot think 

 it difficult imder a just education to awaken this sentiment and 

 form this habit even in the humblest minds ; and what sources 

 of gratification in such case shall we open to him, which the 

 wealth of cities cannot purchase, and what motives to religious 

 trust and joy shall we inspire, which written teachings can 

 never impart. For what a prodigality of beauty is every where 

 manifested in the natural world! Light itself is the perfection 

 of beauty, and wherever it spreads its glittering robe, converts 

 every thing which it touches into beauty. Take the great fea- 

 tures of nature, the earth, the water, the sky, the sun, the moon, 



