IX. THE JOURNEYING ATOMS 188

X. THE VITAL ORDER 212

XI. THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIT 244

XII. THE NATURALIST'S VIEW OF LIFE 254

INDEX 291

The reproduction of the bust of Mr. Burroughs which appears as the
frontispiece to this volume is used by courtesy of the sculptor, C. S.
Pietro.




I

THE BREATH OF LIFE


I

When for the third or fourth time during the spring or summer I take my
hoe and go out and cut off the heads of the lusty burdocks that send out
their broad leaves along the edge of my garden or lawn, I often ask
myself, "What is this thing that is so hard to scotch here in the
grass?" I decapitate it time after time and yet it forthwith gets itself
another head. We call it burdock, but what is burdock, and why does it