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Show VOLUME VI. SALT LAKE CITY", UTAH, NOVEMBER 15, 1894. ENVIRONMENT. 1 T IS a law of nature, applying to stones, plants and animals, that surroundings makes them what thev are. The crystal that is not crowded during growth develops into a perfect geometrical from, while the one that is pressed in on all sides accommodates itself to circumstances, and is imperfect, but a crystal still. So the flower that grows uii the hills spends most of its energy in the production of while another of the same spjcies. that grows in a well-kep- t garden h:is a blossom that is lovelier by far, yet it produces no seed. Let us look at the next higher form seed, of life, the animal. The sheep that lives on poor food never has a line wool as he would have if the food were better; and the same is true of other animals. But there is a higher force of which I must treat, it is higher than cohesion in the stones, higher than the life in the plant, higher than the life in the animal the force of the human soul. It is no exception to the law, and We are what our environments makes us' Now. let understood. Crowding me be made the crystal unsvnnnetrical, vet it was a crystal still. Kace makes us members of the Caucasian race; but it does not follow that a life aw.iv from Africa's scorching sands will change a negro 4 4 envi-ronme- nt ml into a Causcasian he would be a negro still. For convenience, let us divide the subject of environ inent into race environment, and ; i individual environment. I will iirst discuss race environment. It is found that negroes become lighter by remaining in a cool climate, and men of the same race who live in hot climates are darker than those who live in cooler regions. People who live in sections where soluble phosphate of lime is found in drinking water, have large bones and are tall. It has been noticed that if they leave their childhood homes, ami their children have not this cause for large frames, they inherit them for several generations, but it Anally dies out. But these environments are physical in their nature and influence the mind but little, being often overcome by the individual environment. Indiv'dual environment is the greatest stud)' of the philosopher, the teacher or the re- former. At the earliest period of expression, the child has some of the pecularities of the parents. It assents its words as the parent assent theirs; it uses vulgarisms and idioms which the parents use; and, in fact, its general actions are like those of The bad things its its parents. parents do, it does; ami appearing so earlv, it has been said to have inher-itethese habits, but this mav not be true. The great principle, "that all men are born coital," is to a great extent true, from a mental standpoint, as well as from a civil one. The child imitates the actions of those around him. He sees what they do and what thev do not do; and does, or avoids doing, the same. As he becomes older he contracts likes ami dislikes, as he is taught by experIf ience with things around him. d NUMBER 4. he tinds a surrounding (environment) gives him pain he learns to dislike itf but if it gives him pleasure, he likes it. Thus the child is taught to dislike or to like certain lines of action, and his life proves to be the result of these lines of action. A child who is earlv brought in contract with nature, is earlv taught to observe the objects around him, and thus has his faculties brought earlv into a healthy action: while, if the faculties are not given food, they will not grow. Again, the faculties mav be sati- ated, so that thev become tired, and can do nothing, like over-fe-d stoinaches that cannot retain food. Thus it is that the mother's frown or smile, the father' advice or reproof, the teacher's rod or emulation all accumulate in one great focus a. the human being. But," I have often heard urged, "children areoften given advantages in the wav of music teaching, etc., ami vet thev learn to dislike these 44 Yes," I reply, advantages." "that environment was intended for good, but proved to.be the opposite. The teacher may not realize that, if is neglected and so the school-roois unsigntlv, the child will learn to in the dislike that school-roodegree that it is distasteful, thus to some extent, making school a bad feature in a child's life. If the teacher has the room nicely ornamented with plants that have previously afforded the child pleasure, he will learn to love the school-rooand love art. Yes, whatever is presented m m mf m to his mind in such a wav as to be plcasureable he learns to love. The opposite he learns to dislike, ami |