Country and City 69 



is part of the country : it is his realm and 

 his support. The city man thinks chiefly 

 of agreeable features of the country ; he is 

 interested in its beauty and novelty and in 

 its contrasts with the city. The countryman 

 does not think of the features, for all features 

 are his ; he escapes neither weather nor season, 

 since he belongs to the country as much as 

 the trees and fields belong to it. 



The attitude of the city man is, " Come, 

 let us go into the fields." The attitude of 

 the countryman is, " These are the fields ; here 

 am I." Keats well expresses many city men's 

 attitude : 



" To one who has been long in city pent, 



'Tis very sweet to look into the fair 



And open face of heaven, to breathe a prayer 

 Full in the smile of the blue firmament. 

 Who is more happy, when, with heart's content, 



Fatigued he sinks into some pleasant lair 



Of wavy grass, and reads a debonair 

 And gentle tale of love and languishment ?" 



The farmer's attitude may be expressed 

 somewhat as follows : 



