Part 3 (1/2)

In the presence of that episode I felt like one in a foreign country who is ignorant of the language, while Broas the concierge who understands es He knew the truth and so had freedoet drunk to win a respite fronorance of the truth It e that is spoken all about one I have so-store and find norance of the contents of the bottles because I cannot read the labels I have no freedom because I do not know the truth The dapper clerk who takes down one bottle after another with refreshi+ng freedoarten, and I certainly feel and act the part

I had this sa ready to sowin the field next to the road for my own pleasure and for the pleasure of the passers-by A field of alfalfa is an ornament to any landscape, and I like to have my landscapes ornamental, even if I must pay for it in terms of manual toil I had never even seen alfalfa seed and did not in the least kno to proceed in preparing the soil If I ever expected to have any freedom I must first learn the truth, and a certain modicum of freedom necessarily precedes the joy of alfalfa

Thus it ca the truth I had to learn about the nature of the soil, about drainage, about the right kinds of fertilizer, and all that, before I could even hitch the teaazines, but hbor John, who lives about two hundred yards up the pike from my little place John is a veritable encyclopedia of truth when it comes to the subject of alfalfa There I would sit at the feet of this alfalfa Gamaliel Be it said in favor of my reactions that I learned the trick of alfalfa and now have a field that is a delight to the eye And I now feel qualified to give lessons in alfalfa culture to all and sundry, so great isworeat distress She wanted to get a train, but did not know through which gate to go nor where to obtain the necessary inforirl was tugging at her dress and crying pitifully That woe as if she had been in prison looking out through the barred s When she had finally been piloted to the train the joy of freedom manifested itself in every lineament of her face She had come to know the truth, and the truth had set her free

I kno she felt, for one night I worked for more than two hours on what, to me, was a difficult problem, and when at last I had it solved the manifestations of joy caused consternation to the fae to the furniture I never was in jail for any length of time, but I think I know, from my experience with that proble out-of-doors ht h my orchard and see the smooth trunks and pick the beautiful, smooth, perfect apples, I feel that sense of freedoe of the truth

I haven't looked up the etyrippe_, but the word itself seems to tell its own story It seems to mean restriction, subjection, slavery It certainly spells lack of freedoirls who seeraphical grippe, and I have sought to free theht and pure air of freedom If I only knew just how to do this effectively I think I'd be quite reconciled to the work of a schoolmaster

CHAPTER XII

THINGS

I keep resolving and resolving to refor always happens that prevents the execution ofthe ravine, the grubbing-hoe, a lunch-basket well filled, and a jug of water from the deep well up there under the trees seem to be the sum total of the necessary appliances for a life of usefulness and contentrubbing activities, and an hour at noon beneath that tree with free access to the basket and the jug seerass is luxuriant, the shade is all-e, and the s can wait So, what additions can possibly be needed? I lie there in the shade, er and thirst abundantly satisfied, and contemplate the results of my forenoon's toil with the very ace, clear space where this rubbed out _iil would say it, and not ives emphasis to the satisfaction

The overalls, the heavy shoes, and the sunshade hat all belong in the picture But the entire wardrobe costs less than the hat I wear on Sunday Then the comfort of these inexpensive habiliarb, but can loll on the grass without co shoes I simply scrape it off with a chip, and that's all there is to it The dirt on my overalls is honest dirt, and honestly cohbor John of the big things of life and feel no sha, when resting from my toil, I sit out under the leafy canopy and revel in the sounds that can be heard only in the country--the croaking of the frogs, the soft twittering of the birds so of the chickens as they settle upon their perches for the night, and the lonely hooting of the owl so tree down in the pasture I need not move from my seat nor barter hts when such ic of such music the body relaxes and the soul expands The soft breezes caress the brow, and the rass

But when I return to the town to resuins, and then the reign of coarbed inI find myself the possessor of nineteen pockets What they are all for is more than I can make out

If I had the with s Out there on the farm two pockets quite suffice, but in the town I must have seventeen more The difference between town and country see s and school the s I find two pockets are all I require; but a the children Iin thee degree; another is an efficiency pocket; another a discipline pocket; another a pocket for methods; another for professional spirit; another for loyalty to all the folks who are in need of loyalty, and so on I really do not know all the labels When I was examined for a license to teach they countedI had the requisite nineteen, they bestowed upon_eclat_ Inthese pockets, trying to find so that will bear so the boys and girls But they are very nice and polite about it, and seem to feel sorry that I must look after all

Out in thethicket I can go right on with my ithout soout there, and so have ti that neither I norI know it is not the right way, but, so it I think its I see, and I can't make out why I don't do the sas; in here I say things I do wonder if there is any forgiveness for a schoolre results

And then the words I use here are such ponderous things They are not the sort of huhbor John as we sit on top of the rail fence These all seem so like words in a book, as if I had rehearsed them in advance It may be just the town atmosphere, but, whatever it is, I do wish I could talk to these children about deci with John He seems to understand me, and I think they could

Possibly it is just the tension of town life I know that I seeet keyed up as soon as I cos here, and many of them are so artificial that I sees, and moon, and chickens, and cows When I as The shop-s are full of things, and I seem to want all of thehbor Brown bought a percolator, and within a week I had one I had gone on for years without a percolator, not even knowing about such a thing, but no sooner had Brown bought one than every sound I heard see: ”What is ho things, and s They don't reat bother

There are fifty-seven things right here in my den, and I don't need more than six or seven of thee and small, in this room, but I couldn't have named five of them had I not just counted theh against the s and narcotics, but s only differs in kind fros of the Mind,” and I like to read it Now, if s in it as reeable associate for Brown and s foruseless bric-a-brac, it would be farin and about these fifty-seven things should suddenly becoe as spiders, I'd certainly be the unhappy possessor of a flourishi+ng ress toward the simple life would be very promptly hastened

CHAPTER XIII

TARGETS

In my work as a schoolet to thinking that my way is the only way, or even the best way I think I learn irls than they learn froet soe chap about a hen that taughtto school to this college youth, and he was enlightening y, and especially upon the trial-and-error theory That sethow many trials and errors that henthat fence At any rate, the hen taught me another lesson besides the lesson of perseverance

I have a high wire fence enclosing the chicken-yard, and in order to ate is attached, I joined theht me the lesson must be both ambitious and athletic, for time after tiently for the place of exit, but could not find it So, in desperation, I deterained her freedom if it took all day So I found a comfortable seat and waited In an hour or so the hen came out into the open and took a survey of the situation Then, presently, with skill born of experience, she sidled this way and that, advanced a little and then retreated until she found the exact location she sought, poised herself for a ht over the board that connected the posts Having made this discovery, I removed the board and used wire instead, and thus reduced the hen to the plane of obedience

Just as soon as the hen lacked soet over the wire barrier, and she taughtto aiirls, and believe they are just as smart as any hen that ever was, and that, if I'll only supply things for theh and far

Every time I see that hen I ary atso dull that a htthis lesson I seemed to expect my pupils to take all their school work on faith, to do it because I told theood for them But I now see there is a better way In my boyhood days ent to the county fair, and that was one of the real events of the year On theof that day there was no occasion for any one to call me a second time I was out of bed in a trice, at the first call, and soon had my chores done ready for the start