THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
79 
There are, however, other compensations in the life of 
a botanist. To those who care for the approbation of 
their fellows the honor of being connected with some great 
University or Botanical Garden, or a position in some 
department of the Government counts for much; while to 
those who delight in botany for its own sake the prospect 
of doing exactly what one likes best to do and being paid 
fordoing it, is particularly pleasant. Moreover, while the 
botanist is usually a very busy individual, it is his avoca- 
tions rather than his vocation that makes him so. His 
duties generally leave him considerable leisure for other 
things while his situation among books and specimens 
allows him to employ his time to the greatest advantage. 
It is this last feature that makes the life of a botanist so 
fascinating to the plodding beginner who, perhaps, is 
obliged to snatch the few minutes a day he gives to 
botany from hours that should be devoted to other things. 
He may have the greatest inclination for further study, 
but lacking the botanist's leisure he must forego it. 
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Commercially, therefore, botany can scarcely be said 
to pay, but measured by any other standard it does pay 
and it pays well. After all, the commercial standard is 
not a true standard. Are any of the really desirable 
things of life measured by it? Can we place a money 
value on friendship, or religion, or health, or youth, or the 
capacity to enjoy good books, music and fine scenery ? 
No one would exchange these things for money though 
many with money would willingly purchase them if they 
could. These things and many others pay us a vast 
interest annually, but tiOt in mere coin and it is in this 
latter sense that botany pays us best and most accept- 
ably. A holiday spent in field or wood gives pleasure in 
proportion as the flowers have a significance. The 
unbotanical are constantly deterred from the examination 
of attractive blossoms through dread of being poisoned, 
or because of superstitions connected with the flowers, 
while the botanizer sees new beauties at every step. 
