New-York tribune., 1886-06-06
THREE OBSERVERS OF NATURE.


S9lt CO. 90 Boston anu No" ''rN "0uSA'0"' '-'''''
SYLVAN WINTER. By FRANCIS GEORGE HEATH with
Illustrations. svo.. PIP. 3ji. Scribner Il Wexford.
BIRDWAYS. BY OLIVE THoRNE MILLER. 1Gmo. PIP.
22I Houghton. Miilin d Co.
at is not so much hat we see as what the thing
seen suggests," says Mr.. Burroughs while enforcing
the thesis that We go to nature for hints half
truths and crudities which need to be absorbed,
transmitted, refined and charged with a new sig
niiicance in the mind of the observer. But when
the observer becomes a writer. shall he explain
how his mind has been exercising itsof and tell
what he feels or thinks it would be proper to feel
or SIMPLY what he sees Upon this point, so far as
ran be comprehended from a misty page OF two
Mr.. Burroughs holds that natural appearances
should be interpreted or translated SO that the
authors personality is revealed if tho readers
interest is 20 be enlisted and held. This naturally
recalls the we'll known passage wherein Ruskln
declares that the greatest thing a human soul
ever does is to something and tell what 1t saw
in plain way" And whatever may be Mr.. Bur
roughs's theory regarding his legitimate functions
an Interpreter, in most OF these papers there Is
no intrusion of selfconsciousness. He simply tells
what we'll trained eye has seen and he tells it in
a plain way" that is in words that come most
easily and naturally rather than in elaborate
Phrase and elevated language. The twinkling
fails ut an Old-time threshing; the unging
challenge OF the sickle and the scythe the cham
pon prepares to lead the band down
through the tall timothy and redtop OF the
meadow the Sunday sailing OF the COWS; the boss
carpenter guiding the tenon OF the corner post into
the sill mortice the big bent is seadi OIL line
of pike poles at q barn-rasing-al these and many
pictures like them are delightful in their way
Indeed this essay the picturesque phases of farm
;f. .i,at ha oh ptn ral
history, although tho animals to which The reader
is introduced are not on the hand, stuffed
and cataosued museum specimens nor are they, on
the other hand superior creatures endowed with all
the nobler passions together with the gift of
prophecy; they are real live birds and beasts who
make an honest living when it isn't convenient to
rob their neigbbOrs and make no pretension to any
knowledge of the weather of the future. In tue
"Tastc of Maine Birch" there are some simple
experiences that make the wild blood start but
there is nothing to hurry healthful pulse in the
highly wrought imagery with which Mr. Burr0u CHS
decorates his canoe any more than there is in this
absnrd apostrophe to the pine The Norseman Of
the woods lofty and aspiring. tree without buster
or noise, that Sits the bowling storm into fine
spray OF sound; symmetrical tree, tapering
coumnar shaped in a lathe, the preordared
mast of ships the mother OF colossal timbers;
from the foreworId, counting centuries in thy
rings and outasting empires in thy decay"
Language of this sort ia not spontaneously gener-
ated in the woods.
1t is not often that Mr.. Burroughs departs from
The practice of " telling what be IN plain
way" and it is to be regretted that he ever lapses
(or scars into any other style. When he talks
about the veritabe oceanic brine the continental,
primorlal. original liquid. the hoary, eternal sea
the threatening, hungering remOrsecs.
decoying. fascinating. serpen;ine, rebellicus sea
with its briny. rimy. weltsring, gTany.
saline voice." with g0od deal more bIackish f1oth
of this kind, he may think he is telling what the
sounds and sights and odOrS of the shore Ought to
suggest but it is doubtful whether sane mind
ever churns itself up INTO such chaos of emotion
unless it is preparing an article Tor publication IN
literary periodical. Mr. Burroughs probably does
himself injustice when he tells rs that the
presents itself to him as "a writhng. crawling.
crested gttering. saurian devouring the beach and
disaorging it again" judging from the general
tone Of his writings he has sane and healthful
mind and his love of nature should help to keep
aim modest reverent. sincere. We have not hereto
fore considered him the hysterical affected and
artificial persons that these casual rawlings would
seem 10 indicate.
Mr. Heaths book is not without interesting pas-
sages although there IS hardly sentence of the
thors own in all these beautifully printed pages that
the reader will wish TO remember Mr.. Heath quotes
freely however, from Gilpiu's 1" Forest Scenery"
and the work OF the true artist is recognized even
when presented in this mangled fashion. Not since
he wrote a hundred years ago has any other
portrayed the beauties of sylvan scenery with
touch at once so delicate and And Mr..
Heath has peculiar right to quote from Gilpn for
it was h. who prepared an edition of the Forest
Scenery Il haf-dozen years ago. 1t was signal
service TO render available a work long out of
print and far too little known, and commendable.
too was the editorial Self-restraint which left the
text disfgured with but few annotations. Grateful
lovers Of the forest and forest literature will there
fore he charitable to Mr. Heath when
peeled to pronounce judgment upon such an in-
sipidity as this Sylvan Winter"
Mrs MiIers title hardly suggests systematic trea-
tse on Ornthoogy. 1t, does however, at first sight
repe the reader by inspiring him with an apprehen
sion that it may be a sO-called outdoor book of the
prevalent fashion IN which little secondhand and
third rate knowledge of some particular science is
mixed up with a good deal of affected interest in
natural things general. As a matter of fact the
book deals mainly with one phase OF bird life. 1t
is u sheaf of sketches, most of which describe the
tricks aud OF certain captive birds of varl
Gus species and ungrd teful birds they must nave
been if they failed TO relish imprisonment under
sympathetic jaior This would seem like IL con-
tracted feld to furnish incident for a faiI-sized
volume. But the birds were observed by eyes
which saw many things not revealed to ordinary
vision. and their motives were studied and noted
by an intelligent as well as kindly interpreter.
The stories prove that the little comedies and
tragedies of real bird life not without humor
and pathos of their Own and that the adventures
family history aud personal pecullaftleS OF cat
bird or even of an English sparrow when set forth
III simple, unpre tentious style fraught with
genuine interest 10 young and old. One who be-
comes acquainted with the robin aud wood thrush
IN the iirst pages of the book Will not be likely TO
decline an introduction to the heroes and hcroInes
of the succeeding sketches. and If he should take
along with hm an inqusltive and ingenious boy
or gir-one not 100 bg-he Will nave a delightful
ana dellghted companion.