230 Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



the sun, to eat, to drink, and to dance, aimless and 

 listless, the plaything of the present, he could not 

 call himself American. He must struggle upward 

 towards the ideal, be it attainable or not. The little 

 girl plays with her doll, thinking innocently of the 

 baby that may one day lie in her arms; the boy 

 toots his penny trumpet, hearing the clarion note 

 of the man. Who would rob these children of their 

 illusions, who is not charmed and touched by their 

 sweet monkey tricks ? And yet what more pitiful 

 than the sight of a grown woman or a strong man who 

 has not learned to put away the toys that belong 

 to youth alone. And so with the children of a new 

 country, who cares to laugh at the sham fronts of 

 the houses, knowing that these are card castles to 

 be rebuilt of brick, and stone, and marble — by 

 and bye ? 



The same spirit that makes men build false fronts 

 to their houses, forces them to " keep up appear- 

 ances " in everything else. They pay the price of 

 lies — the word is too harsh, perhaps — by being 

 constrained, as the poet tells us, to lie on still. 

 Finally the lie masquerades as truth ; the liar be- 

 comes convinced that he is an honest man. George 

 IV. believed firmly that he had taken part in the 

 battle of Waterloo. Once he appealed publicly to 

 the Duke of Wellington, asking the great com- 

 mander if it were not so. The Duke replied grimly : 

 " I 've always heard your Majesty say so." 



The writer has seen a country practically bank- 

 rupt, banks tottering, tradesmen unable to meet or 

 collect their bills, farmers in despair; and this 

 condition of affairs was not the effect of low prices, 



