rm
By silent sympathy.

The stars of midnight shall be dear
To her; and she shall lean her ear
In many a secret place
Where rivulets dance their wayward round,
And Beauty born of murmuring sound
Shall pass into her face.

THE REWARD.

+The uplifting and purifying power of nature.+--Through communion with
the grandeur and majesty of Nature, our lives are lifted to loftier and
purer heights than our unaided wills could ever gain. We grow into the
likeness of that we love. We are transformed into the image of that
which we contemplate and adore. We are thus made strong to resist the
base temptations; patient to endure the petty vexations; brave to oppose
the brutal injustices, of daily life. This whole subject of the power of
Nature to uplift and bless has been so exhaustively and beautifully
expressed by Wordsworth, that fidelity to the subject makes continued
quotation necessary:

Nature never did betray
The heart that loved her; 'tis her privilege,
Through all the years of this our life, to lead
From joy to joy: for she can so inform
The mind that is within us, so impress
With quietness and beauty, and so feed
With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,
Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men,
Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all
The dreary intercourse of daily life,
Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb
Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold
Is full of blessings.

Therefore am I still
A lover of the meadows and the woods
And mountains; and of all that we behold
From this green earth; well pleased to recognize
In Nature and the language of the sense
The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,
The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul
Of all my moral being.

THE TEMPTATION.

+The very thoroughness and fidelity with which we fulfill one duty, may
hinder the fulfillment of another.+--We may become so absorbed in
earning a living, and carrying on our business, and getting an
education, that we shall give no time or attention to this communion
with Nature. The fact that business, education, and kindred external and
definite pursuits are directly under the control of our wills, while
this power to appreciate Nature is a slow and gradual growth, only
indirectly under our control, tempts