In an interesting passage dealing with her books, Mrs. Porter
writes: "I have done three times the work on my books of fiction
that I see other writers putting into a novel, in order to make
all natural history allusions accurate and to write them in such
fashion that they will meet with the commendation of high
schools, colleges, and universities using what I write as text
books, and for the homes that place them in their libraries. I am
perfectly willing to let time and the hearts of the people set my
work in its ultimate place. I have no delusions concerning it.
"To my way of thinking and working the greatest service a piece
of fiction can do any reader is to leave him with a higher ideal
of life than he had when he began. If in one small degree it
shows him where he can be a gentler, saner, cleaner, kindlier
man, it is a wonder-working book. If it opens his eyes to one
beauty in nature he never saw for himself, and leads him one step
toward the God of the Universe, it is a beneficial book, for one
step into the miracles of nature leads to that long walk, the
glories of which so strengthen even a boy who thinks he is dying,
that he faces his struggle like a gladiator."
During the past ten years thousands of people have sent the
author word that through her books they have been led afield and
to their first realization of the beauties of nature her mail
brings an average of ten such letters a day, mostly from
students, teachers, and professional people of our largest
cities.
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