178 CHRONICLES OF A CLAY FARM. 



" to' big for the farm." But Greening was a true 

 improver notwithstanding. He baptized every new- 

 born notion with a jest, but he watched its growth, 

 and adopted each youngster in succession, and so 

 heartily and practically withal, that they seldom got 

 into his hands without thriving better after all than 

 they had done in mine. 



Ye ardent Go-aheads! who expect every new 

 argument to tell at once every intellect to yield 

 at the first onset, every new plan to be tried by 

 everybody learn to wait: and you will find that 

 there is much more chance of your notion being 

 overtaJcen than overlooked, much more likelihood 

 of your having to re-claim than to re-assert- a single 

 hint that was ever good for any thing. The seed 

 may seem a long time buried, but if it have any 

 vitality in it, it is germinating where you little 

 think, and will fructify when you least expect, and 

 with a produce you had never dreamt of. And 

 when you come again and say "this is mine!" 

 do not be surprised if shouts of louder laughter 

 greet you than even befell your first announcement 

 of it. 



I had time to think all this : for my guest, like 

 a shrewd bargainer, as he was, gave a little fling to 

 the general discourse before he came to business. 



