The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-30

| ulllerent sizes, but the base of each pro-
ceeus IRON a different point, so that
one side is narrower and shorter than
| the other. So also with the leaf of the
| lime tree; if you fold it's blade over the
ihidrip, you will observe that the two
halVes do not match They do not
spring from different points al the base,
as IN the case of the elm leaf, but from
Tue same point; yet one of them is con-
slderaply larger than the other, and
illaKes an elegant curve. One of the
ihost common foreign plants cultivated
IN our greenhouses and in our parlors
is the begonia. The leaves of nearly all
the species and varieties of this curious
genus have this want of equality in the
most marked, and, indeed, extreme de-
gree. The most careless observer cam
not fail to be struck by it, and to Won
der what can be its meaning and pur-
pose A similar unsymmetrical ar
rangement of folia is conspicuous in
one of our native wild fowers-the
Epimedium or barrenwort, whose pale
green leaves, set airily on wiry stems,
are all of an oblique shape, and present
most elegant appearance. You exam
lne cluster of hawthorn BLOSSOM and
you notice that the edge of each bios
som is not clearly and distinctly cut.
1t looks as if it had been stamped out
with blunt instrument, rather than
cut out with sharp knife The edges
are rough, untidy and unfinished, and
you think you could easily improve
upon their appearance If you had the
making of them. So also there are
shells that are truncated; they do not
finish their spiral to fine point, but
break off abruptly in a blunt, broad,
rugged top. But all these are only out
standing examples of a popularity
which prevails throughout the whole
physical world. Nature Is very unsym-
metrical, and its Irregularities culmi- |
nate in the framework of man himself |
The two hemispheres of the human
brain are not equal, neither are the two
ventricals of the heart. The left side |!
of the body is not the exact counter |
part of the right side; neither does the |
human face exhibit a perfect CORE
spondence between the one profile and
the other. A line drawn between them
would show a distinct departure from
symmetry. In regard to all such eccen-
tricities of nature, one might at first be
inclined to say that Gods ways are not
equal-that He gives more to one than
to another. But a more thoughtful con-
sideration of the subject will show that
these seeming irregularities come under
a higher law of wisdom and goodness.
Unsymmetrical when you look at the
individual instance only you will OBJ
serve that, associated with the larger
whole, it imparts to it greater SYM
metry. The inequalities of the separate
leaves make the whole foliage of the
tree more graceful; and the result of
the the individual lopsided feathers
when put together, is to make the
whole plumage Of the bird more smooth
and even. The crispness of the individ-
ual flower of the flawthorn--the want
of finish about it's like a rough sketch
by great artist, far more effective
than the most finished drawing by an
unskilful hand. You soon find how
much the careless, blunt edges of the
petals contribute to the beauty of the
cluster of flowers, and to the whole
mass of blossoms on the tree. This
saves them from too regular and arti-
fetal aspect, gives them wonderful
piquancy and pearly softness of color,
and enables each blossom to shade
delicately into the others, until the
whole effect is that of a wreath of snow
tender and harmonious.
so also the blunt, truncated top of the
spiral shell does not look so finished as
if it tapered off to a point; but it forms
an interesting variety and contrast to
other more uniform and finished shells,
and has a curious charm Of It's own;
while it serves useful purpose In the
economy of the creature whose habita-
ton it is"