A JOURNEY TO NATURE 



came down in sheets mixed with hail. Little 

 rivers broke loose all around. The gutters 

 spouted and the roof reverberated. Everything 

 seemed to hold its mouth wide open, and Gabe 

 stood there in the corner of the barn enjoying the 

 almost savage copiousness of it. A Biblical line 

 came into my mind Biblical phrases always do 

 pop up to exactly fit an emotion. &quot; The wild 

 asses drink their fill.&quot; I never before appreciated 

 the strength of that line. There we were, men 

 and horses, huddled in the barn, actually bom 

 barded with refreshment. But presently it cleared 

 up. A great fresco of sunset flamed in the west, 

 and we all climbed into the wagon and were 

 rattled back to the &quot; Folly &quot; under wet trees, 

 every one of which tried to imitate the shower in 

 its own way and shook its drops down on us as 

 we passed. But we were very jolly as we jolted. 

 The consciousness of a victorious accomplishment 

 made us boisterously kin ; and when we got to 

 the house, Griselle had a magnificent supper await 

 ing us of hot slapjacks and cold pork and beans 

 and fried chicken, a banquet entirely unfit for 

 gods, it was so bounteously human. After 

 ward Gabe jolted Charlie and me to our hut 

 and dumped us on the wire grass pretty well 

 fagged. When we were alone we sat and looked 

 at each other rather foolishly, and Charlie re 

 marked, &quot; I thought you said we came up here 

 to play.&quot; 



&quot;Yes, we did, Comrade,&quot; I replied, feeling 

 after an appropriate didacticism, &quot; but a little hard 



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