The Washington times., 1922-04-09

IL ~ not conGioereo 20 often ~
Il should be by the combativs
workman OF the town. how that
may be. Yet among tho farm la
borsrs Of the better sort. mon. I
mean. Of settled life and habit.
OF stake in = country which
withhoids them ground OF their
own In which to plant It. in spite
Of pay which u the lowest OF
any skilled iaborers OF insanitary.
uncomfortable. xnd often scan
dalousiy inadequate lodging: Of
csassisss. irrsmediabls toll; Of an
absence Of outlook which might
well break q young mans heart
the fact is undoubtedly that Il
breaks mono here. the fact re-
mains that our men are content
ed. like their work. and love
their moss-grown novels under
the reeking thatch.
How La all that to be explained
to the townsmsn7 In this man
ner, and not otherwsse---that farm
labor 10 way OF life AZ well a.
livelihood. and that no man set
tlsd In = way Of life which quits
him viii complain IL the amenity
IL rsckonsd ~ part Of the hire.
That. also. 70 how the artist or
the poet looks at the psnce-haif.
pence he wins for HIS happy toll.
He - cultiyating his garden. as
Candtds found II wise to do; and
II the prics he commands for his
vegetables Il scanty. hS knows
that he has. for hs is, like AL
them to the good.
That talk Of garden reminds
me Of another thing which the
farm iaborsr may or may not
have found out. I myself think
that he has. for he 10. like all
n,sn who don't get their learning
cut of other mems books. of an
cbservant and absorbent habit
Few things of the kind escape
him; but m for ms. I have only
recently found QUE that the less
you have Of q thing the more you
value II. and the more pleasure
you have out Of II.
TOLL AND HAPPINESS.
Obviously. that Is true OF such
things a. coal and light, or bread
and butter. I find II equally 10
Of iuxuries and amenities. like
art and horticulture. ] believe
that the pleasure 10 In an inverse
ratio.
You have. say q quarter mile
Of clipped ysw hedge: or topiary
work In battaiions Of monsters.
a. at Lswsns: or. as I saw cncs
In saiop. chsssboard of II set
out on black and white flaxstones
box on one side, yew on the
ether. and q canal Of clear
water I'm between. "a q Rubicon
between the hosts.
II win take three or four gar
dsners three or four weeks to
CLIP at midsummer, and as much
in October again; and you accept
II ~ Of the order Of things--in
the large. as, you accept a fine
morning or Jour chief seat at
feasta II does not add specificai-
ly to your store of pleasures.
But the cottaxsr win have q
peacock by his front door or 4
duck on her nest. clip Il In odd
moments Of his day. and take In
ordinate pride In IL, q pride persn-
niai, pleasure never stale to the
eye.
There 10 a man in my village
who has two clipped yewa of
mystical significance and unknown
cid. Popularity, they are known
az the Open and Shut Umbrella.
The clipping Of such portents 10
a serious. and in the case of the
coiumnar one a perilous affair.
Yet have never seen twis out
Of place. These things, rightly
done, bring their own reward.
Men toll after them. "as some
man toll after virtue"
BEAUTY AND PROFUNDrTY.
II ID difficult. likely impossible
20 dstsrmine how far the born
countryrnan IL suspectible to the
beauty cf his surroundinxs--to
the cioud-shadows on the hills,
the rippss In the red wheat, the
sunSisam ON ooppics and hedge
row. 10 the springs flush or
green, or the aufumn's fleeting
gold; yet know that he does note
them. have seen his eye gieam N
he noted them, and 1 know. too,
that II IL not possible for one 90
weather-wise and weather-wary
not to value that which he reads
30 profoundly and studies day by
day with ever fresh application.
Townspeople are too apt to
argue from expression; but EXPIRES
sion 10 Just what the countryman
lacks. A thing In felt. pondered.
-A-x -. A. sA~.-Ax a. 49,