The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-04-21
1aa wsEkLy I,mEsREcoRD. VALLEY CRY. Nonrh oAko1a

he has built bark-covered shacl
which he calls "Slab-sides" where h,
can withdraw from human society
be close to his nature friends, anc
write in peace and at his leisure
Much as he likes his own freside, he
has travelled through. the United
States, Alaska and England. Each
time his writings have been enriched
by the journey and he has returned
happy to know that he has seen new
countries, but contented in being at
home to resume his writings.
Burroughs literary work falls nat
urally into two groups, his nature
essays, and his critical and philosophi-
cal essays. AS has been said, his ma
ture essays first attracted wide at
tention, and it is through them that he
is probably best known to the general
public. AS we read these, we forget
all else and are walking through the
fields with this wonderful observer
and are seeing the innumerable things
which he points out. He sees the
birls, their nests, their young, and we
see them too; he hears them sing, and
we listen and hear through his ears.
All his statements are scientific, that
is true, he is the keenest, most exact
of observers, but he does not burden
his writings with too much science
he does not forget to make you feel
that his creatures are alive and have,
feelings, instincts and emotions. A
few lines from these essays must suf-
fee to show Burroughs skill as a
Naturalist Writer.
"And yonder bluebird with the earth
tinge on his breast and the sky tinge
on his back, did he come down out
of heaven on, that bright March
morning when he told us softly and
plaintively that if we pleased, spring
had Gomez"
He speaks of the spring robin thus:
AT sunset on the tops of the tall
naples, with look heavenward, and in
a spirit of utter abandonment, ne
carols his simple strain. And sitting
thus amid the stark, silent trees
above the wet, sold earth, with the
chill of winter still in the air, there IS
no filter or sweeter songster IN the
whole round year. 1t is in keeping
with the scene and the OCCASION"
"Seeing us approach, it (the great
blue heron) spreads it's long wings
and flew solemnly across to dead
tree on the other side Of the lake |
enhancing rather than relieving the
loneliness and desolation that brooded
over the scene. AS we proceeded It
flew from tree to tree in advance OF |
US, apparently loath to be disturbed IN
it's ancient and solitary domain"
His critical and philosophical essays
nave been written later, mostly after
he moved to Riverby. The critical
essays include those written on Whit
nan. Emerson, Thoreau. Mathew
Arnold, Victor Hugo and others
Puttee says that this is his most DIS
;inctive work, his real message, AS
literary critic he works under the sur
ace, analyses, weighs. compares, ana
ellis his findings simply and directly.
Burroughs nature essays, charming
IS they are, full as they are OF de-
ightful personality, will be- super
,eded by others as careful and as
charming; Burroughs criticism was
he voice of an era, and it will stand
With the era.' INK
His later volumes are almost en-
irely philosophical. In the preface
o "The Breath of Life he says, u
IN forced to conclude that my pas
ion for all open-air life, the tinged
md stimulated by science, is not !.
,assion for pure science but for liter
ture and philosophy" in "The Sum
nit of the Years" he tells us" 1t 4
Gems as if one never could get to
he end Of all the delightful Things
here are to know. and to observe, ana
o speculate about in the world. Ma
ure is always young. and there IS no ),
rreater felicity than to share her
'outh. I still find each day too short
or all the thoughts want to think
II the walks l want to take, all the
looks / want to read, and all the
riends want to see."
One cannot read these essays with
ut feeling the peace. the quiet JOY IN T. :
ife, the optimism of this man who !!
las lived for many years and viewed i
he struggle of life about him. In his
asst volume Accepting the Universe"
192O) he reflects upon this struggle
he good and evil forces which are ap-
,arently at war with each other, and
he part played by man and God. His
Tod is A Nature-God, and to compre-
END it's infinity, we must look art the
inverse as vast in time and space be-
'ond all human understanding: Life I
lpon the earth is but ffeck, and yet
'iewed as part of the whole, gives
IS with but human minds key to the
treat creative energy at work IN the
osmos. John Burroughs conclusion IS
The Universe is good. and it IS our
are good fortune. to form part OF It,"
ART TRAINING FOR