The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15
BACKYARD
Pref. Won JOEgIeby Has Now Discovered
the sun DlaIs an the Reefs.

me- sun DIaIs an the Reefs.
you. with your charncteristically kindly
estimate Of everybody" said Prof. Won
Joggleby, might not think so lightly Of
my intelligence, but the fact is that am
like most people. Many things that fall
under my eyes escape me altogether. or l
fail to take in their Significance.
Il see these things and yet l don't see
them. because l don't realize them. and in
this way. though / have been looking at
them for many years. IL was not until within
very recent years that I came to appreciate
the shadows on the roofs.
When for a momentary rest from the
abstruse studies upon which my mind and
time are mainly concentrated l had raised
my eyes from my work to let them fall
upon the range Of back yards in view from
my study window I saw there many things
TO interest me. a. they still do. familiar as
they have all long since beoOme-the null
titudinOus cats that walk with soft tread
along the fence tops; the dogs that jump
and Bcamper in the yards and try to catch
the cats; the people. old and young. that
come here TO work, to idle. or to play.
Here 1 had seen the seasons come and
go; seen winter lay upon the ground it'd
protecting mantle Of snow. and seen spring
come again to melt the snow away and warm
the earth and bring out upon shrubs and
trees tender buds and green leaves. l had
seen all these things for year after year,
with a fun understanding and with an in
terest that never failed. and j a seen
for IA long the shadows cast by the Chin
neyR rising above them On certain HAT roofs
in view from my somewhat lofty window.
But these shadows. dull as you may
now think me. q v only within recent
years come TO mak their larger ana more
mystic appeal to me. Now thoss fat roofs
are 20 me ss ~ many sun dials, whereof
their several chimneys are the gnOmons
whose shadows tell me the time OF day.
True, there are no diRls marked out on
the roofs. but by observation and experi-
enCe l have come TO know he time that the
shadows indicate. The clock IN my study
still ticks away as cheerily az ever. and
still as over do l cherish its friendly com
partnership. Perhaps It hns now come
even closer TO me. but | no longer need 70
turn to its face to know the time. ! raise
my Eyes now and look ont upon the sun
dials ON the roofs and the shadows tell ms
the time Of day and whether l am making
due progress with my work.
-And they tell me-, too, Us | had never
rea lized Il before, Of the motion Of the earth
creeping silently and surely around from
west to aust the shadows tell Qf the revolu'
ton OF the earth IN space and Of the wonders
OF the universe. The cats and the dog
and the people, the grass and shrubs ant
the trees that | see in the range Of yard
have host none OF their interest fON me
Ina fact I think ! ann now drawn TO Then
more closely. as I arm 20 tho friendly clocl
ticking at my back; toward the clock becaus
il. while Il does tell Of the passing OF time
ia vet hut tho work of man like myseli
but now for things more impressive 10y Ia
and above and beyond IA all. | turn to tn
! slowly. surely. silently moving shadows cas-
by the chimneys IN the rOo.s.'