xxxii NATURE-STUDY. 



Happiness. 



"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." But who 

 has learned how to pursue happiness successfully ? Now 

 you hold the phantom in full possession and know it not. 

 Happiness? I hope to obtain it by and by, when leisure 

 comes, when the home is built, when fame is achieved, 

 when a fortune is amassed ; and some of us put it all for- 

 ward into the future life. Stop the mad, deceiving chase. 

 Hold happiness now. You have it ; all that you ever will 

 have of it. Shall I say that you must try to realize it? 

 No ; for then it is gone. 



But let us enjoy this paradise of common things. Then 

 we can teach the child that this is a beautiful world. The 

 Almighty pronounced it good. I do not believe that He 

 has given us any better than His best work for our pres- 

 ent capacity. We need not try to imagine anything bet- 

 ter, till we have done our best to comprehend this. 



It is the mission of nature study to give love, peace, 

 happiness, and those are the ends of life. I cordially bid 

 godspeed to "Nature Study Lessons" or to any other 

 honest, sympathetic attempt to develop the child through 

 nature and put him in closer touch with the means of 

 life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 



