500 
BULLETIN OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 
in nature and to receive the facts of nature as a divine revelation. 
The soul -has looked away from herself and ou't into the marvel- 
lous universe, and learned from a new teacher the wonder, the 
beauty, and the greatness of her life. 
In my address last year I began with a reference to the 
need ‘which we have for better and more comfortable quarters. 
This year I dose by saying that want still exists, but there is 
at least a faint glimmer of hope that the difficulties under which 
we labor will not last forever. Not only do we want more com- 
fortable quarters but we need improved facilities for the illustra- 
tion of the subjects which are discussed in the lecture room. 
Those of you who were fortunate enough to hear Mr. B-urdett’s 
lecture upn meteors and shooting stars must have been struck by 
the ingenuity which he displayed in exhibiting his illustrations, 
but it sharply revealed our poverty. It is worth an effort on our 
part to overcome these difficulties ; for the work of 'this society 
is a most useful one — useful in its direct effects and in its in- 
fluences. In an address - which he delivered before the new 
students of Harvard University in October last President Eliot 
inquired as o what are the solid and durable satisfactions of life, 
and after pointing out some of these he emphasized the fact that 
large mental enjoyments should come to educated people, the 
great distinction between the privileged class who can look across 
the ample pages of the "Book of Knowledge and the large class 
who have not that opportunity is, that the former lives mainly 
by the exercise of the intellectual powers, and gets therefrom a 
much greater enjoyment out of life. His address was to young 
men entering upon a college career, but some of his observations 
are applicable to us all, old and young, men or women. The use 
of our intellectual power, the steady exercise of our reasoning- 
faculties, the constant acquisition of knowledge will increase our 
happiness and add -to our zest of life, no matter how severe our 
labor or how many hours we have to give to the procuring of 
our daily bread. We may not ‘be students of any particular 
university, but the doors of the great university of nature are 
never closed ; its halls are broad, its lessons fruitful, its studies 
simple or severe as we make them for ourselves ; its diplomas are 
written upon hearts and minds in indelible ink, the records of 
success in faithful labor in the earnest search for Truth. 
