A JOURNEY TO NATURE 



without even salt ; how to roast corn in the ashes; 

 how to study sociology over an ant-hill ; how to 

 sleep on fir boughs and make raw potato salad ; 

 how to skin bullheads, which, by the way, you 

 could not tell from weakfish when he fried them. 



I opened my mind to the Doctor, as we smoked 

 our pipes under melancholy boughs. 



&quot;What do you think of that young woman, 

 Griselle ? &quot; I asked with studied carelessness. 



&quot; Good, healthy, and rather pretty country 

 wench,&quot; he replied, &quot;but I have not thought about 

 her. Let me advise you not to.&quot; 



&quot; Why not ? Is she not part of the scheme ? &quot; 



&quot;Yes; her scheme.&quot; 



&quot;Absurd. You do her great injustice. She 

 has no more scheme than a chipmunk.&quot; 



&quot;You are falling in love with her, my son. I 

 noticed it almost as soon as she did.&quot; 



&quot; Supposing such a preposterous thing possible, 

 would it be altogether unnatural or imprudent ? &quot; 



&quot; Highly natural and decidedly imprudent.&quot; 



&quot; She is very fond of Charlie. Genuine mater 

 nal instinct. Think of the boy.&quot; 



&quot; Let him marry her when he comes of age.&quot; 



&quot; Seriously, would it not be a good thing for 

 me to contemplate some such person with a view 

 to his future ? &quot; 



&quot; What does the young lady say to the 

 scheme ? &quot; 



&quot;She doesn t know anything about it, of 

 course.&quot; 



&quot; Figs ! She probably knows all about it.&quot; 

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