The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-04-13


roughs surely had one Of the long
est and fullest lives an American
ever lived. He scarcely had need
70 read American history. for he
had lived through most Of it, He
was born in 1887. In his early eos
he was writing essays and poems.
initiating the great Ralph Waldo
Emerson. who was then the DOM
mating literary genius of America.
Think Of man who. began his
writing career as . contemporary
OF Emerson and who published his
last book this year! For no less
than 60 years-aimost two genera
tions-he was An author in active
practice.
His life was his real masterpiece.
Not that his works are not valua-
BILE. He was an essayist OF real
distinction, and = sound philoso-
pher. 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 certain end, leaning on no
supernatural faith or hope of fu-
ture existence, and yet achieving
serenity.
That was what he preached, and
whether he preached it convincing
ly or not, he certainly practiced it
with dignity and success. He be-
gan life as a poet. Later he be-
came 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,
rejected religion. He could not be-
lieve in a future life or in a Crea-
tor OF the universe. He began his
intellectual development at a time
when Darwin's theory Of evolution
was still a sensation when relig-
ious men were still declaimine
against it, and scientific men were
declaiming against religion, and
some benighted Missionaries were
trying to reconcile the two. Bur-
roughs OF course took the scien-
! tine side, and Darwin became 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 sci
ence were still going holly for
ward, as though he did not realize
that truce had long since been
called, the scientists and the par.
tlsans of revealed religion going
their separate ways. And yet none
OF Burroughs writings seemed ir-
relevant or out of date. For he was
always trying to persuade his read
ers to love nature, to understand
nature, to see that their real saliva.
ton lay in a life of intelligent ad.
justment to natures laws.
Not q SentimentaliSt.
Burroughs created through his
writings whole army of sentimen.
tai nature lovers-of ladies' who
rave over sunsets and bird songs
and tell you how sweet and lovely
nature is. He must have viewed
disciples of his with horror. For
he saw nature as a mighty, relent.
less force, Of which man is an &C.
cidental product. He saw that the
life of man is brief and hazard.
Gus thing subject to a thousand
chances of injury and destruction
He saw how man, longing to dig
nifty himself and his life, had com.
to believe in future, states and il
personal creators. He understood
this longing, he shared it; but tt
him all religions were merely sen
timental myths, which, in the lon1
run, untitled man for survival. HI
believed that man must summon
the courage to accept the condi
tons Of life as they are. that h,
must admit he has no proof OF
even indication of any life beyond
the present one-nothing but tn,