The Heather Plot 49 



supernatural ; but the suspicion of my plot 

 remains. I might have said to them : " I came 

 out here one silent midnight under the Summer 

 Moon, looked over my many acres of heather, and 

 prayed that it might all turn green and fatten good 

 cows, all except one half rood, to be preserved as a 

 memorial of my supplication. I came again next 

 morning and found sweet tufts of clover beginning 

 to peep up through the heather, and these 

 flourished and spread until all but the half rood 

 was clover and fat cows." See how a man may 

 miss his way to popularity from want of a little 

 foresight. It is too late for me now to set up the 

 miraculous explanation, and it appears that even 

 Mr. T. W. Russell will not accept any other, 

 though he showed no special talent for miracles 

 before he became Vice-President of the Agricul- 

 ture Department. How can we expect science to 

 prevail with the peasant ? 



Perhaps it is as well. I am not sure that the 

 mantle would fit me even if it fell on me, and it is 

 something to know that if I cannot teach men to 

 lie, I can at least force them to think. Even the 

 Department's experts came my way thinking. 

 The phenomenon had to be explained, they were 

 paid to explain such phenomena, and they delivered 

 lectures in the district ; but their explanation was 

 frightfully like my own. One of these lectures is 

 worth permanent record. 



An admirable lecture on scientific manuring, 

 to a full audience of empty farmers, but their 

 natural intelligence was almost as high as the 



D 



