HOMES NEAR TO NATURE 



235 



the city as a professional artist to be- 

 come an amateur farmer, because there 

 is clanger of your becoming" by and by 

 a professional farmer and an amateur 

 artist. If you have a good practice in 

 law or dentistry or clothes or drygoods, 

 stick to it and do that work with all 

 your power. Make the country not 

 something to add to your care and 

 trouble but a source of refreshment. 

 Do not fret over the man in the garden ; 

 sit down on the rock and let the garden 

 grow up in a profusion of floral riches. 

 Do not trouble yourself about the best 

 ration for the cow. Buy the good bot- 

 tled milk fresh from the box of cracked 

 ice. Then take your pipe and sit down 

 by the fireplace and look into the 

 flames and there sit and think and 

 sometimes only sit. 



These are the lessons and guidance 

 to nature that come to me and our 

 readers from the home near to nature 

 of Mr. Frederick Opper, cartoonist and 

 funny man. and through his fun and 



through his ludicrous method of farm- 

 ing" as well as through his ludicrous 

 portrayals in the well-known metro- 

 politan newspaper he often teaches a 

 lesson that is deeper in seriousness 

 than it is in fun. 



PEACE. 



By Helen Gilkey, Seattle, Washington. 

 Across the fields the evening shades are 

 creeping, 

 The din and clamor of the long day cease, 

 The sacred calm, the dusk, and droning 

 cricket 

 Speak to my waiting spirit, "Peace." 



When wildly o'er those fields dark storms 

 are sweeping, 

 Fierce tempests surging on with mad in- 

 crease, 

 Chord Thou the notes, Oh Father, and from 

 chaos 

 Bring Thou the golden strain of peace. 



The grand notes linked in harmony majestic 

 From end to end of Life's keyboard shall 

 roll; 

 The "peace of God which passeth under- 

 standing" 

 Shall vibrate in each waiting soul. 



FORTUNATE ARE WE IF WE ALSO CAN STAND BY THE BROOK BANK OF LIFE AND SEE 



SWIRLING CURRENT GO BY. 

 But, Oh, how many things float on the surface! 



