The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-05-11
Look.


his applications for further instructions, or
for new objects for examination, only replied:
"Look look!' The more the pupil looked at
the fish the more he saw, until at length the
nsster was satisfied by repeated examine
tons that he was beginning to know howto
use his eyes. That is an accomplishment
which The most of US never acquired. Inc
trained eve of the naturalist, with lts "ou-
deriu. power to catch at glance the niiho'o
details as well as the characteristic 'e"
lures OF a natural object, is by no means
to be expected of persons engaged In aVoca-
lions that do not bring that faculty into con-
.tapt exercise But the eye needs education
10 acquire even tolerably good knack of see
ing, as much as the hand needs instruction
and practice in order to perform deity any
useful work, but with the most OF us it re-
maiDs through life clumsy organ, capable
of helping US read and giving us pleasure by
its app eciation of colors among which, after
all it cannot very nicely discriminate, and by
presenting to our minds the graces and har-
mony of landscape, and not much else.
THE infinite value of even this can only be
fully appreciated by those in whom this
sense has in some way become impaired or
wholly lost. Yet what could add more to the
store of human knowledge and what could
20 rapidly increase mans means of contend
iag 9th obstacles that impede his progress,
as N intelligent observation of natural PIKE
nomena every where carried on by eyes train
ed to see superficial qualities at glance, and
capable of pursuing much more delicate re-
searches if valuable results were promised?
The field of enquiry cultivated by scientific
observers is SO wide that it is impossible for
them to take note of what exists or happens
in a millionth part of it. The missing link
In some great chain Of investigation, a single
additional fact, necessary to warrant some
mighty induction fraught with overwhem-
ing interest to mankind, and for which
philosophers have for years been
searching, might, as we can well imagine,
be accidentally observed by some mole-eyed
rambler who would pass it by, perhaps
without notice, and perhaps with the remark
that it was "funny" or that it Cooked
strange" or that it was "a queer thing. -
The unskilled observer, in whose path for
tune had strewed such riches, would ordi-
narily take little heed of the exact character
of the object or phenomena. and could after
wards give no ineligible account of that
wherein its ''queerness' or "straugeness'' or
its ''fun" consisted.
Should we all leave our several pursuits,
then, and run up and down the earth, peer
ing into the nests of birds, counting the sta
mems Of the Composite and poking in mud
puddles for water beetles? Not necessarily.
We simply mean that in youth a keenness OF
observation could be cultivated, which would
enable men, with no profounder scientific
requirements than are got in a good high
school, to note the form, the color and the
essential characters Of things with precision,
and ordinarily to appreciate at a glance the
significance of novelty-or departure
from the usual conformation of natural OBJ
jects or of the evolution of natural events
They need not assume the character of orig
inal investigators they need not attempt to
generalize. But they might without any in
terruption of their special work act as spies
on nature and volunteer reporters in the SER
vice of men who know how to convert facts
into the very bread of life. We do not for
moment forget that most beneficent econo-
MIXING OF human strength which results
from the specialization of pursuits-whch
assigns to each man single simple thing to
do for which he acquires an extraordinary
facility. 1t is well that one man should raise
wheat while one of his neghbors makes his
boots, and another tells him what the wealth
er will be tomorrow. 1t is well even that
one man should make the head while anoth-
er makes the point of a pin, each being inca
pable OF doing the others work. But there
are certain things that all men are required
to do Every citizen, as member of society,
is bound, if requested, to help preserve the
peace, though he is by no means eblded to
60 about in uniform with a policeman's
baton in his hand, All good citizens, too,
must be politicians, must canvass the merits
of candidates and vote. 1t seems to us that
this incidental watchfulness of nature, of
which every one who has learned to see is
capable, is exactly one of those vital func-
lions to the exercise of which all men are
morally bound. One need not be less en-
terprising or successful merchant, because he
is amateur entomologist enough to examine
critically the insects thai infect his wares.
There was once shy, eccentric young
man from Massachusetts, who made several
excursions to the woods of Maine. He was
not great natural philosopher by any
means. His powers of generalization re
apparently very feeble. But he could see
In fact, he saw in the few weeks he spent in
exploring our rivers, woods and mountains.
more then had been seen by all the expor-
ers, trappers, lumbermel, fishermen and
spectators, that had ever penetrated those
wilds or passed their lives there. He actually
sdto the rocks, the animals, the trees and the
flowers as he passed swiftly over lake and riy
er, or trod the damp turf under the dense bro.
cage ofthe primitive forest Thoreau's poetic
intuition and fine inpressibilty were person
al characteristics, which canno. be acquired
or initiated by others. But there is hardly
doubt that his nicely of observation and
keenness of vision might be a very common
possession. Most men might, through prop
er instruction and practice in youth, have
his all-beholding eyes. There is N Portland
Doctor OF Divinity, whose laborious profess
sion does not suffer at all from his devotion
to science. His profound learning and vast
stores of information are of course beyond
the reach ofthe majority of mankind, but
the humblest of his hearers might we'll emu
late him in the habit of seeing things at
which they look. Another clergyman, in
charge of a church just out of the, city, car
ries eyes in his head for all natural phenome-
ma, and has been-not inaptly-called the
"Thoreau Of Gloucester" for the fine work he
has done in picturing the natural phenomena
ABOUT that city of fishermen in Massachusetts.
where he formerly lived. We may hope that
ms observations of the fields and woods of
Deerlng and the shores of Casco Bay. nav
blossom mo a book, which shall show us
how much that is worthy OF seeing is lying be-
fore US unobserved. Yet he is none the less
nay rather, he is all the more-a good mas
for for his Love of, watt.