A BUZZAEDS' BANQUET 



IS there anything ugly out of doors? Can 

 the ardent, sympathetic lover of nature ever 

 find her unlovely? We know that she is su- 

 premely utilitarian, and we have only wonder 

 and worship for her prodigal and perfect econ- 

 omy. But does she always couple beauty with 

 her utility? 



To her real lover nature is never tiresome nor 

 uninteresting ; but often she is most fascinating 

 when veiled. She has moods and tempers and 

 habits, even physical blemishes, that are fre- 

 quently discovered to the too pressing suitor ; 

 and though these may quicken his interest and 

 faith, they often dissipate that halo of perfection 

 with which first fancy clothed her. This inti- 

 macy, this "seeing the very pulse of the machine," 

 is what spoils poets like Burroughs and Thoreau : 

 spoils them for poets to make them the truer 

 philosophers. 



[323] 



