Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1892-11-10
WITH PEN AND INK


fine Out-l0or Series is Little vosznns
bond 10 light green li1ea, bearing :
spsy a dark pine rpon its eerer. Il i
called Tie Fodpssls Way and Is
written By Brzdferd TorrsT, The bo:znisf
and ornittoloyst- Nr Torrey L no l1ngsr
= young usn. md there Il so11sshing IN
sbs Iessurely gzsrrlity Il bic oFeninz
chapters that il suggestive of tbsoad MAN
rho xslI tell he s.osy in his own way or
nos at all Uncle Esrnns sisoald hare
Taught impatient youngsters. By this firne.
that these are the very narratives worth
waiting for When Mr. T0srsy gets tho
chapters away from fts sftSe-page and
begins 10 record actual oberrztiOns In the
bird-rosi5 bis books become EerT inter
esting, and the interest once awakened
never flags One a the most striking
chapters In The book i The Robins
koost. ia which Is described the eollert~
ing Of robins for miles around into ore
particular wood where they spend the
nights together, the trees heavy with
fezthered fruit. No explanation is giTsn
Of this curious gegzriousDess On the part
81 the robin, but from collateral evidence
Il seems TO be the customary habit d the
bird The chapter called "A Widow and
Trinso gives delightful insight into the
domestic manners a The hunming bird,
in whose family the father il conspicuous
by his absence, The domestic morality
q the male ruby throat is canyassed by
the author with as mDch ezfnestness a.
though he we're candidate for the
presidency, and in the end the charitable
writer, rather than be TOO harsh, pro-
Bounces the old Scotch verdict, mot
proven"
The charm a the true naturalist lies
very largely in this quality Of deep earnest
ness about the matters which interest
him tits more like the naive absorbtion Of
childhood, which takes the world into
itg confidence, cure Of response, than any
thing else in grovn-up-ioni; and AZ We
respond instiDctiyeIy TO the cbild's earn
estnees Of appeal, we become interested
in such problems az the male ruby
tbroats' fidelity to his wife and BARNS,
and take almost the naturalist's view of
the urgency Of the matter. 1t is the
scrnpuIous sincerity Of the real naturalist
that gives him his great hold upon the
afectiogate respect Of lying mankind.
Darwin" said divine who liked to
scandalize his congregation, twas man
more naligned by ignorance and malice
than any man ofour century. His views
are systematically distorted and falsifed
by the editors Of religious newspapers
who have not given themselves the
trouble to read the book which they
yiIify; this same Darwin was man who
would have gone to the stake rather than
have lied about the hind Leg Of micro
scopic insect"
But as truth is the naturalist's acknowl-
edged virtue, 80 lie, too, possesses vice
scarcely more obscure. He is Extensively
self-complacent, in and out Of season, as
he etrolls through the fields with an opera
glass over his shoulder, calling the roll u
the birds Of the air and the flowers Of the
field, as though he were an Adam, nam
ing them at his pleasure; he seems to be
Offering one continuous song Of thanks
giving that he is not az other men are.
The sight Of cruel hunter with gun
over his shoulder sends him into ex-
tastes Of self-gratulations at his finer
nature, content to hunt birds with Latin
epithets. There are men, and why not
birds, who prefer fight in the open to
being called names behind their backs.
The naturalist claims that his deepest joy
is upon distant mountain peaks or in the
solitude Of pine forests or lying face down
in a patch Of briarg, spying upon the
conjugal department Of birds; then why,
in the name Of Puritanism, does fie take
30 much credit to himself for doing what
he likes? Mort men who simply follow
the devices and desires Of their Own
hearts try to find excuses for their self
indulgence, but net so the naturalist.
He wants the world to realize, and per-
haps chant after him as he goes his
mystic way:
III a vegetable loye suit l,im, and it
certainly wouldn't suit me, why what an
exceptionally pure young man this pure
young man must be-"
Mr.. Tofrey shares this foible in COM
mon with his kind, but for all mis- super.
ority, about which the worst feature is
it's undeniableness, it would be hard to
fancy a pleasanter guide along the foot
path way.
lHoughton Mifiiin 4 CO. Price, fl PSI