was journeying in the steam-cars at the time; and, although the next
stopping-place was somewhat far, he walked back to find the strange
flower. The prize he gained was a rare plant, a beautiful thistle of
which he had only heard before.

Oh, Nature is so modest! But once set her talking, she will forget
your presence, and babble like the brook. How much she has told the
poets, and the men of science! How much she will tell you, too, if
you but heed her!

Ah, girls, what slight attention we have, in reality, shown to Nature!
We treat her more like a servant than a friend and companion. The desire
for excitement has turned our minds to vainer subjects. The struggles
which our elders have made for money and position have deprived them
of chances for regarding natural objects. However deplorable this may
be, it is a still more lamentable fact, that you, dear girls, give
so little heed to Nature,--you who have time and to spare. It lies
with you to cultivate this love for the natural world, that future
generations may be more mindful of it.

When we refuse the gladness that Nature offers us, we dismiss a large
share of the happiness God intended for us. I ought to be a little
more lenient in my criticism on the lack of appreciating Nature,
perhaps; for not a few of us may find lingering in our minds some
autumnal glory which lights up our memories with colors of crimson and
gold. We should remember, however, that not only the glow of autumn and
the flush of summer are beautiful, but that every season, every climate,
every aspect in the shifting panorama of Nature, has a beauty as real.
Our own region, be it arid with parching suns, or wet with frequent
rains; be it always winter there, or always summer, is full of beauty.