Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-05
LESSONS IN LOW LIFE.
THOUGHTS SUGGESTED BY AN HOUR
SPENT IN THE OPEN AIR

However Inslrninennt It May Appear.
Eriss without Purpose.
who has not wondered at the beauty Of
blue violet biossoning in all IT, prrfcc'
| ton under a burdock lcaff MoIalists have
| spoken Of It a. the symbol Of modesty aud
| Of humility, hut 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 aud reach out your
hands TO see how many beautiful things
you could reachi don't doubt you found
10 or u sorts OF leaves and several flowers,
all varying IN shape and color. Some one
says Il took l0,oc1 years for man 20 create
the contents " carpenters tool chest
How long did mature work AZ these types
Of leaves and norerx-esch one model IN
IFS way and no two alikei Now lay your
clover leaves side by side and see how. each
one has It's own individuality no twin ex-
actly alike. Every square yard Of Vegeta-
ton IL a universe Of thought We havf
not yet gone far enough In our investiga-
tons to b. able to understand even the col
oring matter or the circulation Of our beau
tiful violet.
am deeply interested IN high hfe-in
that world that unvs and soErs. the clouds
whose shadows sweep ny earth couch; the
stars that carry Thought till IL IS lost In
tangled skens Of eternity. but II is 50 dear
iy rrstful 70 get down here 70 the delicate,
gentle. measurable iow lie Of flowers and
leaves Yon must bring your magnifyins
glass with you AID. n you have one. mi.
erosoope. for we do no, set down even by
STOPPING and sharp pcering TO the very low
est Of living organism There l. plant
lie on plant life, exquisitely beautiful
and more that is parasitic and destructive
Do you see this litilc reddish leaf, with ir-
regular FLASHES Of color, II Is made 60 by
another plant organism that has settled
down to est at it, expense. Air plants arr
never quite air plants, big or little But
sou have only half the history 81 your yard
plot by examining vegetable life The won.
der Of wonders l. this vas; number and
numberleSs SORTS Of tiny creatures thar
crawl Hy and jump about Your resting
plaee 1t will not do 70 be too sensitive
and imaginative, or you will be compelled
70 leave your study
How j. It possible for complete muscu-
lar aud nervous organism 70 he packed
AWAY into the dza Of half a pins head
Yet this leaf IS covered with colony. not
one Of which II htlf that measurc They
run with q spcUd that would e hundred
tins, distance any race horse u compar.
ntiye size The mystery Of their organism
is greatest. however, 10 the minute brain.
How 10 thry know that am danger to
theln' Why shall they run or leap -
quickly II point finger toward them
What sort of emotion is IL that siirs thomi
What sort OF thought behind the emutionf
u It possible for them TO comprehend their
relation 70 other things "a do' Certainly
they know how To find their natural food.
Certainly u they cannot get their first
choice they can adapt themselves 10 Il new
food. They eau love, and they can fear.
Il explains Luthing to say they act by Ia.
stinct, for instinct Is uu acquired power.
70 Is defined by sciglce rs n result OF the
thinking and emotions u ancestors Are
We 10 suppss, that thinking went on brave
y anu sufficiently in The past 10 these mi.
mute herds and that 1t IS NOW lust-that
they arc only acting on the acquisitions OF
thrir predecessor
This certainly explains nothing. for 1t IS
quite as bard 10 understand how thesemin.
nte specks used 20 think 81. to ronpIrhet.d
their thinking now Bus taey really are
arguing good deal still, as You will find
ont II you will be- patient enough u watch
them closely | have seen an earthworm
deliberately change IT, hold on a stick from
the middle TO the end. 80 a., TO draw il into
It's hole lenFthwisc Those ants shat crawl
about everywhere are all moving logically
as you viii sec u You will observe them
long enough. No ole goes about at ran.
dom So YOU can -,r that IN your square
yard there is deal of thinking going on
IN fact, Il Is pretty much solid square yard
Of intelligence
Vegetable lie at the lowest IL a cell; 30 is
animal lie, and science shows IT'S no lifTe,.
euoe. How curious il is 20 see thiscumnon
life branch Ont into two distinct kiugdonis.
Really plant acts % coed deal a. animals
act, only It is rooted. IL is a stationary AMI.
mai. Watch this bic Of leguminous
climber II you had never seen seed clef.
and a stalk rise from il and that stall, tal,e
holl 81 rs nciEuhor and climb up uLl
reach away for air aud sunshine, YOU would
say when you lu,t did see one SO acting
that II was a conscious intelligence But
here there Is 50 much OF what. in woman,
We wodsl call tact that Il is impossible IA
avoid the feeling that thought and purpose
are In all things, The way the leaves lie
and the peculiar manner In which each one
,onduets Itself toward another are ali intel
igent
Now We ilnd our own happiest relation
TO all thing about Us, lay my head OH a
pillow Of moss, Nothing could be- softer
DHudulionS and violots stand about and
seem To he walking through the grass
Ants climb the hollow columns Of stalks
~ green aud gold and 80 alo,t to spy ont
the land, lees come To gather nectar aud
pollen Every sense IL delieN,cly fed Sweet
oodors and sweet sounds rclt me The fnint.
hoating perfumes from everywhere, going
everywhere touch lay brain and soothe me,
am convinced that no one should live in.
doors Apple petals silt down on my face
Why not live here forever But were to
stay, nothing else would stay. The whole
scene changes. Lifc on my yard square is
a panorama New insects constantly gu as
they came, Nota violet is two days old -
Mary E Spencer In St, Louis Globe Demo.
crRt.