OUR COUNTRY LIFE 



her share of this world's goods, listening to the troubles 

 of others and ignoring her own, always cheerful! 

 Think of it! Always, even on the rainy days, singing 

 her small sweet song. 



His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings, 

 And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings; 

 He sings to the wide world, but she to her nest. 

 In the nice ear of Nature which song is the best? 



But for the ambitious, talented person, those fatal 

 words "second best" have no comforting glow; they 

 represent failure. Thoreau went through life misun 

 derstood and laughed at. You remember the verdict 

 of one of his farmer neighbors: "William Henry," 

 he asked, "what you ben doin' all mornin' settin' on 

 that there log?" 



"I 've been looking at the bullfrog, Mr. Farnham." 



"Well, I vum, William Henry, I don' know which is 

 the biggest fool, you or the bullfrog." 



Thoreau was too far in advance of his time. His 

 precious volumes are now fully appreciated. But lis 

 ten to his quaint remarks on the way the public re- 



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