WHERE THE NATURALIST LIVED 23 



there are so many equally interesting that will 

 grow themselves? 



Perhaps you will think that the Naturalist 

 was an impracticable person, and so he was, 

 from the standpoint of the man who will spend 

 six long days at hard work in order that he 

 may buy an automobile and go chasing madly 

 across the country on the seventh. At any time 

 the Naturalist could step outside his door and 

 find a hundred things far more interesting 

 than an automobile, and he could enjoy them 

 for six days by working one. 



In spring there was the marvelous resur- 

 rection of the bloodroots and spring beauties, 

 violets and buttercups; the coming of the 

 birds and awakening of the frogs. In summer 

 there was such a riot of life on every hand that 

 he never could quite comprehend it; ripe 

 cherries, baby chickens, frisky lambs, butter- 

 flies and bumblebees. In autumn the apples 

 ripened on the trees and pumpkins yellowed in 

 the fields, while the leaves turned yellow and 

 the nuts came down. When at last winter 

 came and buried the dead leaves beneath a 

 cover of snow, and the song birds had winged 

 their way southward, he sat by his fire and 

 dreamed of spring, while the wind moaned 



