LUTHER BURBANK, THE MAN 
their predictions,—some of them very kindly 
telling him so,—but people who had heard of 
some of the strange things he had done, and 
who had not the breadth of vision to see what 
manner of man this was, pronounced him a 
charlatan,—a man who was creating all manner 
of unnatural forms of life, monstrosities, in- 
deed a distinct foe to the race. A minister in- 
vited Mr. Burbank to listen to a sermon on 
his work, and when the guest was in the pew 
denounced him in bitter fashion as a man who 
was working in direct opposition to the will of 
God, in thus creating new forms of life which 
never should have been created, or if created, 
only by God himself. 
Now and again arose some pseudo-scientific 
man who, professing unlimited friendship, 
sought for means to filch the rapidly increasing 
reputation. Others visited him with the cov- 
ert purpose of exposing him- as a charlatan 
after inspecting his methods, but, confounded 
by what they saw, went down the little hedge- 
bordered walk that leads to his quiet home 
shamed into silence. From various sources 
came offers of aid; but the keen vision of the 
man read every proposition in its spirit as well 
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