The Anaconda standard., 1895-03-03

~ at Washington park. We say
''cultured" because the word
seems applicable TO these highly bred,
delicate, sensitive plants than cultivated
which belongs TO garden vegetables in
general. Our consciences would not per-
init us to use the latter form in the pres
ence of these royal representatives of
fiora's kingdom. They all would blush
and pale by turn in aromatic high resent
ment. doubt if any oratorIcal descrip-
tion of heavenly places could have made
us feel nearer heaven or more satisfied
with old mother earth than the display of
natures floral beauties here trained and
cultured TO perfection bordering on the
spiritual. They preached to us with an
irresistible charm through all the senses,
except that of hearing, and even that
seemed spirituahzed in this charmed
presence TO catch the soft rustic of life's
impulses in the silent leaves. Reason
seemed lulled the while as on dreamy
sea of rest and the soul drank in ecstasies
of sweet delight with narcissine waves of
perfume.
Here were floral beauties of every tribe,
of every cline. "shot with n thousand
dyes" embosomed in variegated, silky
soft foliage formed to charm the eye. to
catch the soul and to draw man up into
derful works. We were more than in love
with nature in this her floral realm, we
were transported, intoxicated, almost hyp-
notified.
The charm diffused from innumerable
tall clusters of rich exotic ferns, holding
out TO us most gracefully their silky
leaves like perfumed hands and the view
from all sides of all these flowers, many
colored, of sensuous, soft, velvety petals
OF indescrbable beauty, exhaling drowsy
odors through the may garden walks,
seemed more than earthly; more like
some transported vision of soul where
heavenly spirits dwell in gardens of Para
disc; a sense of gladness serene over
flowed the heart. Nothing earthly can be
less earthly than the rare gems of cul-
tured plants and flowers seen in Wash
ington park. They Danish every earthly
care. They have physical effect, elevat-
ing and even raphsodlzing. Whence
comes the charm that they impart, the
gladness flowing SO direct to the soul?
Have these fairy beings in their errand
here some gentle mission dear to
man, some kind affinity to the soul of
human kind that touches when and where
IL may the harp strings of the spirit to
vibrate in half conscious harmony with
that universal spirit who fills immensity,
making all one? Grosser nature separates |
her coarser forms, but the finer essences
dissolved adore as one. And these beau
teous plants, these clustered flowers, have |
they no budding sense of their own lowell
ness, no sweet morality? Are they of n
lower or of higher order than the hui
man, being perfect? Both perhaps. They
impart n tenderness TO love, higher feel
ing of trust, and teach life a moral lesson,
that is more than human clusters always
do-they toll not, neither do they spin
that Is not strictly true-but twice blessed,
they impart. The moral plane of these
plants here in this park is high beyond
question. Perhaps place and care have
much to do with that. But the moral
plane of all creatures is mostly due to
ocalIty and care. have known n poor
miserable thief, condemned and inn
prisoned, who, l am convinced, would
have made an honest, quite respectable
wealthy man.
Morality is n law of relations, applying
90 man, TO animals, to plants and flowers
and other things, and is not a human pre-
rogative. Man has no more "A moral
nature than the plants; nor any unless
he make il. Man acquires moral rela-
tions, habits and dispostion-they are
forced upon him. His personal morality
to God and especially to his fellow man.
Morality is not inherent. 1t is an after
arrangement. Grown to conform to right
relations, men are moral beings, not be- |
fore. The disposition to place ones self |
in right relations is called the moral ma
ture; but the disposition is not natural;
IL is forced by and is the necessary result |
of contact with aud relations to OF her mon
and other mems affairs. The quality or |
degree of ones morality is relative TO |
ones environment and not absolute The |
North American Indian may be moral |
with the members of his tribe, whereas |
among civilized men he would be beastly. |
Morality is habit formed in harmony with |
conditions, fashion, a garment put on for |
comfort or convenience. always cut and |
fitted according TO the prevailing mode or
custom. Man gives room to his |
neighbor at first through fear or
compulsion, then through desire
for companIonship, then through |
recognition of mutual rights, finally,
he regulates these conveniences by rules
arranged to suit foreseen necessities: he
regulates his conduct as best to meet the
standard approval of his fellow men and
his own, and thus makes his morality to
suit his highest conyeniences; that is the
moral law to do as one would be done by:
and 1t applies TO all things.
thing in right relations and in har-
mony with surrounding things is moral:
out OF harmony 1t appears immoral.DA
square is moral because the
root of the sum of the squares of the two
sides is equal To tho hypothenuse and is
an angle of 80 degrees. Nature never
gave TO man any more moral qualities
than she gave TO these plants, and to MOST
men not 50 much. The grace. beauty.
charm and crown OF these flowers and
shrubs are largely due 10 their moral re-
lations. They give room to one another
forced TO as men are-have air and sun
shine and warmth and moisture and nu-
and they are attended 10. cultt-
waited. They are moral; they are clean:
dirt is immoral and an evidence OF vice.
Truly II men were always atfendal T.,