124 NATURE STUDY. 



lectual environment by getting from our neighbor all 

 we could, and giving him in return as little as possible. 

 Our adaptation to our spiritual environment has been 

 equally one-sided and selfish. Too often we have taken 

 all, and given the least possible service in return. 



We are learning that such adaptation is in the end 

 unprofitable, unwise, utterly wrong. The farmer soon 

 learns that he must give to his fields if he would get 

 the most from them. We are discovering as a nation 

 that we must protect our forests, and are just begin- 

 ning to plant where we formerly used our energies in 

 destroying our trees. 



The growing recognition of the brotherhood of man, 

 of the fact that we are to an extent our brother's 

 keeper, is an appreciation of the same principle. We 

 are realizing better than ever before that our fellows 

 are not merely instruments, tools to be used for our 

 own development or advancement, from whom we are 

 to take all that we can get. We owe something to 

 them. Men are slowly learning to appreciate that what 

 they get from their fellow-men depends very largely on 

 what they give to them. 



We like to think that the same idea is modifying 

 our understanding of our spiritual relations ; that a 

 larger proportion of mankind is realizing that the 

 church, or religion, is not a plan for getting as much as 

 possible from our spiritual environment, and giving as 

 little as possible in return. Do not a greater number 

 than ever before regard the church as an opportunity 

 for larger service ? We think so. 



