ITntroDuctiom vn 



value to every man, whatever his calling may 

 be. Not only will it be of value practically, 

 but it will also be a constant source of interest 

 and pleasure. Man is so constituted that he 

 must have something to be interested in, and 

 if he has no resources within himself he looks 

 elsewhere, and often to his hurt, mentally, 

 morally, or otherwise. If he could have an 

 interest awakened in him for the study and 

 contemplation of the natural world he would 

 then have a book to read that is always open, 

 always fresh, always new. He is dealing with 

 facts and not theory, except as he uses theory 

 for getting at facts. 



A man who is all theory is like "a rudder- 

 less ship on a shoreless sea." All he really 

 knows is that he is afloat, and if he lands at 

 all it is likely to be in an insane asylum. The 

 mind, in order to keep its balance, must have 

 the solid foundation of real things. Theories 

 and speculations may be indulged in with 

 safety only so long as they are based on facts 

 that we can go back to at all times and know 

 that we are on solid ground. 



It is the desire and aim of all good men to 

 make their nation a truly great people, with 

 a civilization the highest possible. The char- 

 acter of all kinds of growth is largely deter- 

 mined by the character of the material upon 

 which it feeds. The study of natural law can 

 never be harmful, but is always beneficial, for 



