The age-herald., 1901-03-17

Spring is near soon the buds will swell and the young green leaves will be put ting out, and nature everywhere will be gushing with beauty. The good roads which radiate in all directions from Bir- minghanl lead to innumerabe picturesque spots. Get out your camera load it up, and go write a poem on sprng-not a worthless jingle of hackneyed rhymes, but hold the mirror (camera) up to na- ture in such a manner that she will see herself in the best of humor; and If you are in love with nature and hold the mir TOT right, she herself will write the poem. It will be a song without words, and with an infinitely deeper meaning than words can express. And while you are looking for the spot and the light and natures smile, you will breathe a larger per cent of ozone than you are used to in this sooty city. and you will get more x rays out of the sunlight than you get among city streets to kill the disease germs lurking by millions in city dust.
 If you reed invigoration go to the noun tains; if you want calm and quiet, go to the wales; but take your camera along, and whether nature writes the poem or not, you will come back better physically, mentally and morally; and If you catch the smile and get the autograph verse, that will be something which will last d to yourself. but also to all who may see your poem.
 You ask how can natures smile be caught? How are any smiles caught? A mothers smile a babys smile, or the smile of your own divinity-how are their smiles caught? Not by careless needless actions and grouty, antagonistic or threatening looks; like begets like, and love and smiles beget the same. Remem- Der, too, that though nature may be smil- ing all around and the scene saturated with poetry, the hole into your dark chamber where you expect to catch the smile Is very small and your glance must be very straight and sympathetic and your aim very true, or you will miss the poem and get only a catalogue of what the lens saw. Nevertheless, if you miss once, try again. Not all sorts of poems can be written on dry plates; learn the sorts that are possible and hunt for them Find the time at which nature is willing to smile into the small aperture, and be there with the best pen and ink that you have, and be sure you don't blot the page; but if you do, try again. They tell a story of a great musical composer dt does not matter which one), who was found by lady visitor at his piano com posing Git was not Wagner). "Ah," said she ''at last I have caught you in a mo- ment of inspiration!' Yes, madam, but this inspiration Is laundering hard work,
 said he wiping his brow.
 | Even so, no one need to imagine that | although nature writes poems, she is go ing to do so for those who do not know how to arrange the writing table and vii | the smile But there is also this to be re membered, that even though you ma! know all about the plates, focus, shut ters lens, developers and all the writing materials and apparatus, you may fail t.
 get the poem; your case would be sad in | deed if you could not learn, and the onl
 real direction that can be given you is t
 love; all synthetic methods of maxim
 poems or pictures fall; science is here O no avail; inspiration comes alone fror