New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-11

be as spoiled as any child. She constantly '"'-
putes the most amable motives where ce"'
sight can see only the workings or wonoe'
full insight. and reads into the glorious liper-
ties of immoral nature the pleasant put GER
tainly restricted moral notions to be 1ounu ]"
a family sitting room. AS general ruie' we
see In life only what we have prepared oui
selves to see. 1t Is the reflective the P"io-
sophie the critical bent with which we enter
on any scene that determines the character VI
what we find there. That Mrs. Miller mas see"
so much Notwithstanding the fancifulness III
herent in her general attitude. speaks volumes
for the natural keenness OF her eyesight. her
energy as an investigator, and her instructive
open mndedness.
Internationally there is a reality in Miss Mer-
RAMS "A-Birding on Bronco" Nature taxes
on vigorous aspect to one who sees IT from the
saddle and Miss Merriam was more adventurous
than most riders Of her sex. She galloped over
the plains. took her chances In the Dogs anu
skrted the briars of Southern California. AT
one moment she studying a humming-pird;
at another chasing deer She has heartily in
terested herself In the vicissitudes OF great
number Of nesting birds through the valley OF
Twin Oaks and she has individualzed them all.
But she gives us little or no insight into their
instincts or characteristic ways Her book Is
taken up In healthy superficial fashion with the
mere spectacle Of them. To her mind, as to Mrs
Miller's. asunder Is the quality OF their
thought in other particulars. nature Is but
modified repetition Of the drama OF human life'
There Is much virtue in the classification with
which Mr. c. c. Abbotts "Brdland Echoes d.
vides birds into those respectively OF the mill
pond, Of the lowlands Of the fields, Of the woods
and Of the highways He lacks Mrs. Millers
skill however in suggesting the notes OF the
birds: he lacks Miss Merriam's vigorous enjoy
ment Of sheer activity; he is, TO tell the truth.
dlscursive usually about little or nothing, drops
occasionally into platltude, more often into con-
fidences and in general devOtes himself to an
analysis of mood It responds to the tones IF
nature Scattered sparsely through his rather
graceful essays be found specific details or
the objective world as 1t really Is.
II such adults as Mrs. Miller and Miss Mer-
RAM to be interested In nature. need to think 1t
something other than It Is, children. one may he
sure will be thought to have the same mta-
tiers and to need the same Illusions. Mr.. Bask-
ett's story of the Birds represents. not what
he thinks nature Is like. but what he assumes
children will wish to think it Is like. 1t Is one
long series Of distorting personiications. They
lead him at times into confusion Of mind. at
times into violations Of taste. To stimulate the
childrens appreciation OF plumage he purports
to find In the .,ernal appearance Of birds an
analogue to the decoete dress and the grosser
forms Of the ballet to gain the children's SYM
pathetic interest In birds habits OF mating, he
plays fippantly with the ideas Of bgamy and
polygamy. Surely. II child can be stimulated
TO an interest In nature by such painful sophistl
cations as this. he had better not be stimulated
at all. II he cannot be made to- see nature right
ly he can at least be saved from seeing it wrong
". No exception. Of course can be taken to the
taste Of Mrs. Dana's Plants and Their Chill
dren" Whatever may be said In criticism OF her
method II has unquestionably been carefully
considered and Is discreet She has combined
a great deal Of substantial Information with
some sweetening that must be termed misinfor-
nation. Many children under their teens will
enjoy the combination but the boy of twelve
who Is not a bit ashamed Of all that he has
learned from the book at eight will show unusual
powers Of discrimination between what Is true
and what is false. else will sorely need devel-
opng in masculine traits. No honest boy. on the
contrary Will ever be ashamed OF what he has
learned from Mr.. Matthew's Familiar Trees
and Their Leaves" The volume is clear. vitalized.
sound. 1t is very far from presenting merely dry
analytical detail The author deals with the vital
aspects Of his subject, and he deals with them
thoroughly. The sap runs in his trees and 1t Is
sap. not blood. not broth"
To learn what capital pleasure such downright
treatment Of nature this can give the general
adult reader, needs to turn to Professor
Malls Round the Year" Yorkshire diary Of
the changing seasons. Simple and familiar in
its literary form. unusually penetrating in OBJ
servation 1t makes no pretences. cajoles itself
with no fancies. breaches no homilies. The au-
thor prefers nature as 1t is to any substitute OF
fancy. He comes prepared to recognize the in
tense warfare OF it all. "Overpopuation." he
says, may be the source Of many evils, but 1t
is the handspring of life" 1--WE understand the
dominance of Englishmen remote savages
better" he later goes on to say, when we reflect
upon the ancient wars within the islands, the
'scuff1ing Of kites and crows when tribes OF
all kinds strove together with life or death as
the issue. Let the survivors Of such a competi-
tive examination as that be brought face to face
with some long isolated Polynesian people. and
can 1t be doubted for moment which will pre-
vail? Our common European weeds are the
very strongest In competition Of all plants. They
have come out first In the contest for place.
But our garden plants are selected by Man for
their beauty. Many Of them come from the
Southern continents. where competition Is less
severe than with us. Many In their
native land. We clear bit Of ground. plant II
with a miscellaneous collection Of such Species
and then a struggle begins between the natives
and the foreigners 1t Is all that We can do to
keep the weeds from discriminating their feeble
competitors. We tear them up by the roots,
chop them to pieces with hoes. and with much
pains just succeed In preserving favorites
from destruction. The naturally selected are
so much stronger than the artincally selected
that every three four acres must have a man
to turn the scale against nature and keep it
turned"
1t would be hard to find a more exacting test
Of mans sincere admiration OF life than Is fur
nished by the weeds in his garden. II is the
virity OF nature, the adaptability OF each part
to It's proper function the tenseness of each mus