No Sierra landscape that I have seen holds anything truly dead or dull, or any trace of what in manufactories is called rubbish or waste; everything is perfectly clean and pure and full of divine lessons. John Muir More Quotes by John Muir More Quotes From John Muir See how God writes history. No technical knowledge is required; only a calm day and a calm mind. John Muir technical-knowledge calm-mind writing Who publishes the sheet-music of the winds or the music of water written in river-lines? John Muir nature rivers wind Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. John Muir gnats play people He had gone to the higher Sierras... [about Ralph Waldo Emerson's death] John Muir ralph-waldo waldo-emerson gone A man, in his books, may be said to walk the earth a long time after he is gone. John Muir men science book Surely all God's people, however serious or savage, great or small, like to play. Whales and elephants, dancing, humming gnats, and invisibly small mischievous microbes- all are warm with divine radium and must have lots of fun in them. John Muir nature fun life Tug on anything in nature and you will find it connected to everything else. John Muir tugging connected inspiring I've had a great time in South America and South Africa. Indeed it now seems that on this pair of wild hot continents I've enjoyed the most fruitful year of my life. John Muir hot america years In studying the fate of our forest king, we have thus far considered the action of purely natural causes only; but, unfortunately, man is in the woods, and waste and pure destruction are making rapid headway. If the importance of the forests were even vaguely understood, even from an economic standpoint, their preservation would call forth the most watchful attention of government John Muir fate kings science Thus godlike sympathy grows and thrives and spreads far beyond the teachings of churches and schools, where too often the mean, blinding, loveless doctrine is taught that animals have no rights that we are bound to respect, and were only made for man, to be petted, spoiled, slaughtered or enslaved. John Muir teaching mean school To the sane and free it will hardly seem necessary to cross the continent in search of wild beauty, however easy the way, for they find it in abundance wherever they chance to be. John Muir wild-beauty chance way Government protection should be thrown around every wild grove and forest on the mountains, as it is around every private orchard, and the trees in public parks. To say nothing of their value as fountains of timber, they are worth infinitely more than all the gardens and parks of towns. John Muir garden government tree I always befriended animals and have said many a good word for them. Even to the least-loved mosquitoes I gave many a meal, and told them to go in peace. John Muir mosquitoes meals animal Man has injured every animal he has touched. John Muir injured animal men …their eager, childlike attention was refreshing to see as compared with the decent, deathlike apathy of weary civilized people, in whom natural curiosity has been quenched in toil and care and poor, shallow comfort. John Muir curiosity comfort people Yet how hard most people work for mere dust and ashes and care, taking no thought of growing in knowledge and grace, never having time to get in sight of their own ignorance. John Muir dust ignorance sight In every country the mountains are fountains, not only of rivers but of men. Therefore we all are born mountaineers, the offspring of rock and sunshine. John Muir sunshine men country I have precious little sympathy for the selfish propriety of civilized man, and if aware of races should occur between the wild beasts and Lord Man, I would be tempted to sympathise with the bears. John Muir would-be littles men I always enjoyed the hearty society of a snowstorm. John Muir hearty snowstorms heart The body seems to feel beauty when exposed to it as it feels the campfire or sunshine, entering not by the eyes alone, but equally through all one's flesh like radiant heat, making a passionate ecstatic pleasure glow not explainable. John Muir entering sunshine eye
