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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