The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-30
LESSONS IN LOW LIFE.
THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY AN HOUR
SPENT IN THE OPEN AIR.

However insignificant 1t May Appcar,
Exists without a Purpose.
Who has not wondered Mt the beauty Of
blue violet blossoming in all it's perfec-
ton under burdock leaf2 Moralists have
spoken of it as the symbol of modesty and
of humility, but the real point is that here
is perfection in low life. The clover leaf
IS another sample of the ground kissing
sort. Did you ever lie down in the spring
under an apple tree and reach out your
hands to see how many beautiful things
you could reach? don't doubt You found
10 or IL sorts of leaves and several flowers.
all varying in shape and color Some one
says it took 10000 years for man to create
the contents of carpenters tool chest
How long did nature work at these types
OF leaves and howers-cach one a model in
its way and no two alike? Now lay your
clover leaves side by side and see how each
one has its own individuality--no two cx-
actly alike. Every square yard of vegeta-
ton is universe of thought. We have
not yet gone far enough in our invcstiga-
tons to be able to understand even the col
oring matter or the circulation of our beau
tiful violet.
l am deeply interested in high life-in
that world that rings and scars; the clouds
whose shadows sweep my earth couch; the
stars that carry thought till it is lost in
tangled skcins of eternity; but it is so dear.
ly restful to get down here to the delicate,
gentle, measurable low life of flowers and
leaves You must bring your magnifying
glass with you and, if you have one, a mi
croscope, for we do not get down even by
STOPPING and sharp peering to the very low
est of living organism. There is Il plant
life on plant life, eXQuisitely beautiful,
and more that is parasitic and destructive.
Do you see this little reddish leaf, with ir-
regular FLASHES of color? 1t is made so by
another plant organism that has settled
down to cat ut its expense. Air plants are
never quite air plants, big or little But
you have only half the history of your yard
plot by examining vegetable life. The won
der of wonders is this vast number and
numbcrlcss sorts of tiny creatures that
crawl, fly apd jump about your resting
place. 1t will not do to be too sensitive
and imaginative, or you will be compelled
TO leave your study.
How is it possible for II complete muscu-
lar and nervous organism to be packed
away into the size of half pins hcads
ct this leaf is covered with colony, not
one of which is half that measure They
run with n speed that would hundred
times distance any race horse of compar-
ativc size. The mystery of their organism
II.
How do they know that am n danger TO
thems Why shall they run or leap so
quickly If | Point finger toward them?
What sort of emotion is it that stirs them?
What sort of thought behind the emotion,
Is 1t possible for them to comprehend their
relation to other things as do? Certainly
they know how to find their natural food.
Certainly if they cannot get their first
choice they can adapt themselves to a new
food They can love, and they can fear.
lt explains nothing to say they act by in
stinct, for instinct is an acquired power.
1t is defined by science as n result of the
thinking and emotions of ancestors Are
we 10 suppose that thinking vert on brave
ly and sufficiently in the past in these mi
mute herds, and that it is now lost-that
they are only acting on the acquisitions OF
their predecessors?
This certainly explains nothing for it is
quite as hard to understand how these min
ute specks used to think as to comprehend
their thinking now. But they really are
arguing good deal still as you will find
ont if you will be patient enough to watch
them closely. l have seen an carthworm
deliberately change its hold on stick from
the middle to the end, so is to draw it into
its hole lengthwisc. Those ants that crawl
about everywhere are all moving logically,
rs You will see if you will observe them
long enough. No one goes about mt ran
dom. so you can see that in Your square
yard there is II deal of thinking going on
in fact, it is pretty much solid square yard
of intelligence
Vegetable life ut the lowest is IA cell; 50 is
animal life, and science shows us no differ
encc. How curious it is To see this common
life branch out into two distinct kingdoms.
ideally plant acts a good deal as animals
act, only it is rooted 1t is stationary ami
NAL. Watch this bit of lcguminous
climber. If you had never seen n seed cleft
and stalk rise from it, and that stalk take
hold of its neighbOr and climb up and
reach away for air and sunshine, YOU would
say when you first did one so acting
that it was n conscious intelligence. But
here there is so much of what, in woman,
we would call tact that it is impossible to
avoid the feeling that thought and purpose
are in all things. The way the leaves lie
and the peculiar manner in which each one
conducts itself toward another are all intel
ligent
Now we find our own happicst relation
TO all things about us. lay my head OH a
pillow of moss. Nothing could be softs,
Dandclions and violets stand about nAd
seem to he walking through the grass
Ants climb the hollow columns OF stalks
III green ana golu ana 90 aloft tO spy out
the land. Bees come to gather nectar and
pollen. Every sense is delicateiy fed. Sweet
odors and sweet sounds rest me- The faint
floating perfumes from everywhere, going
everywhere, touch my brain and he me.
/ am convinced that no one should live in
doors. Apple petals sift down on my face
Why not live here forever? But were to
stay, nothing else would stay. The whole
scene changes. Life on my yard square is
panorama. New insects constantly go as
they came. Not violet is two days old
Mary Z. Spencer fn St. Louis Globe Demo
crat.