Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-10-19
LOVE or NATURE,


An eminent naturalist owed tie PIE
seryalion Of both life aud reason ~ lia
love Of nature, lleart-sicl, weariei aud
worn ont In brain aud heart alike, he
determined 10 end an existence which
seemed 10 him too full Ol misery for enr
duranGe and too useless 10 bG worth
having, as he failed 10 provide for his
family, Taking his way lOtle kea shofd
he decided 10 dis there where his death
might he attributable H. natural causes,
Throwing on his hat, oOat and waist
coat, he prepared u fush iHtn tho waves,
when flock Oi sandcfling3 llghlri
upon tho sands near lilm, They attract
"a his attention, They were running H.
aud frO, some piping their low whistle,
while others were probing lilo wet fanl
with their bills ~ tho waves receded,
Hat among them was another bird,
larger aud darker, aud apparently OF
different habits from the others, Desire
10 know something Oi this bird arrest
ed limi he approached lhe sandcrlngsi
they arose aud lleW away, llp followed,
They aligltcd again, aud again his Ia
tefest led him 10 observe them, Away
they went, he after them, At length he
Was stopped by tho brcakwator ln'
tenily Watching the birds ho had forgot
ten all his misrriea, llif Intense love Of
nature had fayed him, and be- found
himself mechanically turning to look
Tor tho clOlheR Oi which Ia his suicidal
hurry he hal diyCslcd himself The de-
siro for death loft hin, His mind wat
mll u the strange bird--wh't could u
boz Relating tho circumstance after
wards, he called the guest Of hia sand
crlinga his Providence,
The love Of nature has saved many an
oycrwrougllt Mid, ltsoemsyeryatmngc
that In an enlightened age, In tho most
advanced country In the world, 20 little
IL done TO inculcato that which conducos
NO materially to happiness and enjoy
mcnt In life, Take the public schools for
example, where teaching ought to bc
reduced 10 u science, and consider how
little "a dono TO teach children to enjoy
nature tho greatest Of all oducatow,
In German and Swiss schools the pupils
40 on expeditions with intelligent mas
terra who point out to them the striking
objects to ho met with in the country, and
so the city children grow in apprccin'
ton Of that which IL denied them in
their homes, How much might bo done
In this direction here! Short eNcul-
sions within the limits Of tho island, or
shorter oncs still across the river to the
Jersey shore, would afford opportuni'
ties for practical lessons in geology, IN
botany, and in natural history which
would he priceless
There is very old fashioned book
called, Eyes and No Eyes, with which
most parents are familiar, which deals
with The question OF making children
"obscrve." TO those who eyes are open
cd lalas, how few they aro) every walk is
full of interest, the very stones cry ont;
the longest journey has no tcdium, for
trees, and sky, and earth alike are full OF
interest And children are so intelli-
gent, can so readily be made obsevant,
their minds can be so easily stored with
invaluable information il only once they
are really awakened, that II seems fa'
tai loss Of time TO keep them at book
learning all the time, when on every side
are TO he found illustrations of the
studies which culled from books are
wearisome alike to head and heart, but
which under the great canopy of heaven
would he brimiul Of interest and de-
light. -Nec Io"h .;iW.