PART I. COURTSHIP 



" IN the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to 

 thoughts of love." This is not felt by the young man 

 only, nor only by the human race, but by all living 

 beings. In the spring the trees begin to bud, the 

 birds pair, and build their nests, and the animals seek 

 their mates. All Nature awakes to the task of 

 bringing new life into the world. We all have known 

 the spirit of hope and rejoicing which enters into us 

 with the first breath of spring. A joyousness which 

 seems to have no cause or meaning takes possession 

 of us; we frisk about, dance and sing, and hardly 

 know how to give expression to this glorious sensa- 

 tion of life within us. Never does the world seem 

 so delightful as in the spring. How lovely is the song 

 of the birds which greets us from every tree ! They 

 are only expressing in their own manner what we 

 all feel. 



" A touch of Nature makes the whole world kin." 

 This touch of Nature which makes us kin with all 

 animals is greater than would at first appear, and 

 goes down to the very roots of our being. The most 

 important organs necessary for our welfare and life 

 we have in common with the animals. Although 

 our bodies seem to be so different from theirs, yet 



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