SHERMAN] NATURE— THE SUPREME PROVIDER 193 



man was no more dependent on her then than he is today. With- 

 out trees those distant relatives of ours would have perished. For 

 the trees gave them not only food but also shelter from the raging 

 storms, and in the topmost branches they were above the reach of 

 animals that were ever ready to devour them. Now, as in those 

 prehistoric days, trees are among the best of man's friends. 



Conditions of civilization have changed, and have increased our 

 needs since then, but many and complex as those needs are today, 

 the earth still supplies them. We talk about community life and 

 action as if it were something of comparatively recent date, while 

 as a matter-of-fact it came into the mind of man when he decided 

 to move from his tree-top home to a cave. 



For a long time man had been dissatisfied with the tree-tops; 

 probably it was somewhat of a strain to care for the children in the 

 swaying branches and at the same time keep on the watch for the 

 ferocious animals hungrily howling at the ground-floor entrance. 

 The first household mo\'ing days were full of excitement and 

 uncertainty. Man knew that he wanted to move into the caves, 

 but the wild animals appeared to have an unexpired lease on their 

 dwelling-places. At any rate they had possession and refused to 

 vacate. So man had to wait and in the meantime do some pretty " 

 hard thinking. Suddenly one day he discovered fire and imme- 

 diately he knew that his tree-top troubles were over. One night 

 when the occupants were out he moved into the cave of his choice, 

 built a fire in front of the entrance, thereby discouraging the former 

 tenants from returning, and thus took one more step on the uphill 

 road of civilization tmder the silent direction of Nature. And so 

 group and community life came into existence when our cave 

 ancestors went \-isiting and sat around a fire — one of the greatest 

 of civilizing influences. 



"Down East" it used to be the custom when a young lady 

 announced her engagement for her friends to ask: "Is the yoimg 

 man a good provider ?" Nature has been to man more than a good 

 provider; she has la\'ishly supplied him with ever\i;hing that he 

 needs. But it was a part of Nature's scheme that man shotdd find 

 out about these supplies for himself. So good were her intentions 

 toward man, that she also gave him the mental ability and the 

 pri\nlege to struggle — the richest of all her gifts. 



For millions of years Nature has been bus}^ getting things ready 

 for man. In ever\- stage of his development she has given him 



