HASTY OBSERVATION 271 



escape their notice. The actors rush or strut 

 across the stage, the curtain rises or falls, the 

 significant thing happens, and we heed it not 

 because our wits are dull or else our minds are 

 preoccupied. We do not pay strict attention. 

 Nature will not come to you; you must go to 

 her; that is, you must put yourself in commu- 

 nication with her; you must open the corre- 

 spondence; you must train your eye to pick out 

 the significant things. A quick open sense, 

 and a lively curiosity like that of a boy are ne- 

 cessary. Indeed, the sensitiveness and alertness 

 of youth and the care and patience of later 

 years are what make the successful observer. 



The other morning my little boy and I set 

 out to find the horse who had got out of the pas- 

 ture and gone ofi". Had he gone up the road or 

 down? We did not know, but we imagined 

 Ave could distinguish his track going down the 

 road, so we began our search in that direction. 

 The road presently led through a piece of 

 woods. Suddenly my little boy stopped me. 



"Papa, see that spider's web stretched across 

 the road; our horse has not gone this way." 



My face had nearly touched the web or cable 

 of the little spider, which stretched completely 

 across the road, and which certainly would have 

 been swept away had the horse or any other 

 creature passed along there in the early morning. 

 The boy's eye was sharper than my own. He 

 had been paying stricter attention to the signs 

 and objects about him. We turned back and 

 60on found the horse in the opposite direction. 



