Evening star., 1934-05-21

INOt ouCCCoc, IlOI SO db
the fun Of the planting, the endeavor,
however it turns out. How it turns
out really makes no difference-if
one can get that idea well into the
head, so that it Is a working prin-
ciple, rather than a philosophical
concept, he-or she-has taken a real
step forward toward such mastery of
life as is permitted US.
Let the result of this planting be
interesting, however it turns out. Let
not so much good growth, or poor
growth, interest us as the growing
itself. Let the operation Of planting
be enticing and the care thereafter.
If we do not SO feel, we are not true
gardeners. We belong to the hosts
Of those who cultivate little gardens
because it Is ''the thing" to do, it Is
fashionable, other people do 1t, or 1t
, gives them an opportunity to brag or
criticize These are very human mo-
tives, little can be said against them,
they have their place-but ought not
to be in the garden, If we can keep
them out.
Az 40 AANSt NoSAAe W oPNNAAoSS AAO" "a
small plot of ground may be the start
ing place for philosophy of life
which will be less acquisitive in the
usual sense but will bring other gains
to a human being.
If one were able to rule out that
bane of existence, comparison with
others, and substitute therefore a
quiet determination to do the best
one can just for the doing's sake, such
an attitude conceivably might be car
ried into all the walks of life, not kept
just in one
If one person could do it. others
could do it, and If many did it. in
time new spirit might be born into
khe world
These are large 'ifs," of course.
Vet it is possible for the individual to
make few steps in what some will
believe to be desirable direction. No
doubt many person actually takes
them without much palaver, simply
by gardening as best he can, unmind-
full Of what others do, and especially
not worrying much about the total
results of planting. cultivating
growth.
Nature is the grand custodian
then let Nature take care of her
children, as she will If she is given
the time. Plant failure in nature
is quite as evident a fact as success
but that is ALL Nature has no in
tellectual stigma for failure. What
grows, grows, and what does not grow
does not grow-that is all, and each
is enough for her. 1t remained for
man, with his conscious mind. to con-
ceive the idea of squirting effort by
rewarding success with praise ano
failure with condemnation. In Nature
the failure itself is condemnation
enough, but in human nature some
thing more must be added. and is
added, at every turn, until sometimes
one may think that the thing has
been very much overdone, that sue
| cess speaks for itself and failure
| for itself. and neither calls for many
words or at least not as many words
as too often are visited upon Sue
cessful and suffering humanity by
humanity itself
The tranquil surface of pond mir
rors the best gardening and the hap
piest gardener. Therein all is pic
tured. as it is. without praise. with
out criticism. without comparison. ex-
cept each with the other. but with
out noisy reproof or equally noisy
approval. All is quiet there, and from
that quietude of the depths the hap
pieSt sort of gardener. who minds his
own business, is able to take in stores
of strength to meet the hard trials OF
the out-garden world, wherein man
knows, or mostly processes to know,
only competition. uproar, battle. with
resulting triumph, failure. often un-
necessary elation and equally unneces-
sary casting down of the spirit TIE
trials Of Nature are enough, without
the man-made trials inflicted upon
itself by humanity in small as well as
in large affairs of the everyday.