LECTURE XXIII. 

 RESPONSE TO EXTERNAL STIMULUS. 



u There was a child went forth every day, 

 And the first object he looked upon, that object he 



became, 

 And that object became a part of him for the day or 



a part of the day, 

 Or for many years or changing cycles of years. 



" The early lilacs became a part of the child," etc. 



- Walt Whitman. 



The environment always present ; always varied. 

 Every living being affected by it. Constant pressure 

 counts. " Nature and Nurture." " Schadet nichts im 

 Entenhof geboren zu sein wenn man in Schwanenenei 

 gelegt ist." Andersen. "At the feet of the strong 

 god, Circumstance." How much of our actions ap- 

 parently our own are but the ordinary result of en- 

 vironment on the average man. Are nations and men 

 creatures of circumstance ? In large degree yes, but 

 the worthy and the noble in some sense create their 

 own environment. 



The effect of environment shown in our regard for 

 agriculture; for education; for training of men, and 

 horses, and trees. Evil effect of evil surroundings. 

 The slums beget slums. In the ideal conditions no 

 evil environment should be tolerated. 



