The Open Air 



superb health in their gait, they walked as the 

 immortals on earth. 



As they passed they regarded me with bitter envy, 

 jealousy, and hatred written in their eyes ; they cursed 

 me in their hearts. I verily believe so unmis- 

 takably hostile were their glances that had oppor- 

 tunity been given, in the dead of night and far from 

 help, they would gladly have taken me unawares 

 with some blow of stone or club, and, having rendered 

 me senseless, would have robbed me, and considered 

 it a righteous act. Not that there was any blood- 

 thirstiness or exceptional evil in their nature more 

 than in that of the thousand-and-one toilers that are 

 met on the highway, but simply because they worked 

 such hard work of hands and stooping backs, and 

 I was idle, for all they knew. Because they were 

 going from one field of labour to another field of 

 labour, and I walked slowly and did no visible work. 

 My dress showed no stain, the weather had not 

 battered it; there was no rent, no rags and jags. At 

 an hour when they were merely changing one place of 

 work for another place of work, to them it appeared 

 that I had found idleness indoors wearisome and had 

 just come forth to exchange it for another idleness. 

 They saw no end to their labour; they had worked 

 from childhood, and could see no possible end to 

 labour until limbs failed or life closed. Why should 

 they be like this ? Why should I do nothing ? They 

 were as good as I was, and they hated me. Their 

 indignant glances spoke it as plain as words, and far 

 more distinctly than I can write it. You cannot 

 read it with such feeling as I received their looks. 



Beautiful golden-brown, superb health, what would 

 I not give for these? To be the thrice-blessed and 

 chosen of nature, what inestimable fortune! To be 



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