Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-31

WAS LONG LIFE
OF BURROUGHS
Naturalist Famous Writer for~
More Than Sixty
Years.
HAD CLEAR VIEW OF LIFE
ny FREDERIC j. HAsKIN.

poems, initiating the great Rslp Waldo
Emerson, who was then the dominating
literary genius of America Think Of {
man who began his writing career as
contemporary Of Emerson and who pub
Iished his last book this year. For no.
less than sixty years-almost two gen-
erations-he was an author in actiYe&
practice
His life was his real masterpiece. MOTT
that his works are not valuable. lie was
an essayist of real distinction, and a
sound philosopher. He taught a great
many how to find beauty and interest in
the out-of- doors, and perhaps he taught
a few how to accept the universe" as he
did, seeing life clearly, with all its
hazards and hardships, its soon and GER,
tain end, leaning on no supernatural
faith or hope Of future existence, and yet
achieving serenity.
That was what he preached, and Theth-
er he preached it convincingly Or not, he
certainly practised it with dignity and
success. He began life as a poet. Later
he became an essayist, and finally his,
whole thought and effort turned to
science. All of his later writings were
designed to win men over to the scientific
view of life.
Burroughs, like most scientists, re-
jected religion. He could not believe I'M
future life or IN a Creator of the Uni
verse. He began his intellectual develop
ment at a time when Darwin's theory of
evolution was still a sensation, when
religious men were still declaimingI
against it, and scientific men were de-
claiming against religion, and some
benighted Missionaries we're trying to
reconcile the two. Burroughs Of course
tro 4Ia l..
came his idol
Many of his later essays reflect this
intellectual conflict Of his youth. He
wrote somewhat as though the great war
of the last century between religion and
science were still going holly forward,
as though he did not realize that a truce
had long since been called, the scientists
and the parIsans of revealed religion
going their separate ways. And yet none
of Burroughs writing seems irrelevant
or out of date. For he was always try
ing to persuade his readers to love ma
ture, to understand nature. to see that
their real salvation lay in a life OF In.
telliGent adjustment TO natures laws.
SAW NATURE AS
RELENTLESS FORCE.
Burroughs created through his writings
a whole army of sentimental nature
Iovers-of ladies who rave over sunsets
and bird songs, and tell you how sweet
and lovely nature is. He must have
viewed these disciples of his with horror.
For he saw nature as mighty relentless
force, Of which man is an accidental
product. He saw that the life Of man is
a brief and hazardous thing, subJec7 to
thousand chances of injury and destrac-
ton. He saw how man, longing to digni-
fy himself and his life, had come to be-
Ieve in future states and in personal
creators. He understood this longing.
he shared it; but TO him all reli gions
were merely sentimental myths which, In
the long run, untitled man for survival
He believed that man must summon the
courage to accept the conditions of life
as they are, that he must admit he has
no proof or even indication of any life
beyond the present one-nothing but a
longing for such life. He must realize
further, Burroughs said, that this life is
thing Of hazard, guarded by no spe-
cial providence, subject to the SAME
chances as any other form Of life on thks
globe. This is perhaps a terrible phiI&
osophy, and one which calls for coura y s
but Burroughs believed that a higSs
serenity may be gained from it. that the
man who seeks to live by the laws Of
nature viii in the long run be the hap
p1est. His own life was certainly the
most convincing demonstration of that
philosophy. Serene, sane, independent in
thought and act, supremacy reflective he
stood aside from the troubled and violent
current Of American life. Life rushed by
him as mob dashes by some quiet, as
tonished bystander. Here were men hot
after money, men worn and torn by am
billions, men following all sorts of re-
ngions and superstitions and isms, some
in ecstacy and some in anguish Here
was almost everything save a man at
peace with himself and with his fellows.
NATURE TERRIBLE
But BEAUTIFUL.
Burroughs, out Of his vast serenity.
spoke to the mob gently. He babe these
excited ones to be calm, if only because
their futile little lives were not worth
getting excited about. He babe them
stop and notice how beautiful was sun
light on water and the song Of a mock
mgbird and the first green Of spring. He
suggested that since they were here for
such little while it might be vel to
pause for moment and to enjoy the
beauty and wonder Of the spectacle of
lie All OF them, he saw, were madJy /
running away from the reality of life. /
that Is, from Nature, because they had /
rot the courage to face it.
and he tried to tell them that al
though Nature is indeed terrible, she ia
also beautiful, and not always cruel to
those who understand her. And why RIM
away from her, anyway? There is really
no escape
Most of them paid no attention TO him.
few of them stopped and listened for
moment and then ran on. Only a very
few could share and understand the
philosophy which gave this old man m1eFN
rare peace and strength Of spirit. he
was not calculated to influence many,
not only because his philosophy was too
austere for them and demanded mora
courage than the many have, but also
because he knew nothing about them.
He was no social observer; he was re-
cluse. He did not try to fit his phi
losophy to other mems lives
This philosophy was woven through
and through his writings. 1t is just as
well expressed in this bit as in any
other:
Man has taken his chances in the
clash of blind matter and the warfare
of living forms. He has been the pet of
no gods, the favorite of no power on
earth or in heaven. Gravity, electricity,
fire. food, hurricane will crush or CON
sumo him if his hand is unsteady or his
wits tardy. Nature has dealt with him
on the same terms as with all other
forms of life. She has shown him no
favor. The same. elements ma Ike up his
body and his brain as make up theirs,
and the asme are the constituents of
the rocks, soils and clouds. How can
We separate man from the total system
of things, setting him upon one side and
eE,o