94, THE JONATHAN PAPERS 



about the barnyard, and to as little purpose. 

 For the contemplative mind is no match for 

 the practical. I knew this, yet I could not 

 forbear saying, later: 



&quot;Jonathan, I was up near the long meadow 

 to-day.&quot; 



&quot;Were you?&quot; 



&quot;O Jonathan! Those birches!&quot; 



44 What about them?&quot; 



&quot;All cut!&quot; 



&quot;Oh, yes. We need that piece for pastur 

 age.&quot; 



&quot;Oh, dear! We might as well not have a 

 farm if we cut down all the birches.&quot; 



&quot;We might as well not have a farm if we 

 don t cut them down. They ll run us out in 

 no time.&quot; 



&quot;They don t look as if they would run any 

 body out the dears!&quot; 



&quot;Why, I didn t know you felt that way 

 about them. W 7 e 11 let that other patch stand, 

 if you like.&quot; 



&quot;7/1 like!&quot; 



I saved the birches, but other things kept 

 happening. I went out one day and found one 

 of our prettiest fence lines reduced to bare 



