Air-Castles. 5 



shades, wandered in forest glades, and paddled in the 

 * complaining brooks which make the meadow green.' 

 Nay, not many years ago he returned at intervals to 

 these scenes, and found their charm had still power 

 over him — felt the truth of the poet's words, that 



" ' To him who in the love of nature holds 



Communion with her visible forms, she speaks 

 A various language ; for his gayer hours 

 She has a voice of gladness, and a smile 

 And eloquence of beaucy, and she glides 

 Into his darker musings, with a mild 

 And healing sympathy, that steals away 

 Their sharpness, ere he is aware.' 



" He asked for enough to live honorably upon 

 among his fellows," continues the Fate, " and to keep 

 his parents comfortable in their old age— a matter of a 

 few hundreds a year — and I gave him this and thou- 

 sands more. Ha, ha, ha! Silence! Look at him; he 

 doesn't see the joke. Oh yes, you may try to tell it 

 to him, if you like. He has no time to listen, nor ears 

 to hear, nor eyes to see ; no, nor soul to understand 

 your language. He's * short ' on New Jersey Central 

 or * long ' on Reading, and, bless you ! he must strain 

 every fibre if he would save himself from ruin. 



" He could commune with you in your youth, you 

 say; he had your language then. No doubt ! no doubt! 

 so did he then know his Latin and whisper his prayers 

 at his mother's knee. The Latin has gone ; his praying 



