LITTLE ranged through the fragrant clover ' ' knee deep in June." 

 JOURNEYS Q Oftentimes the young wife worked with her husband 



in the fields, or went with him to market. Great plans 

 were laid as to what they would do next year, and the 

 year after, and how they would provide for coming age 

 and grow old together, here among the oaks and the 

 peace and plenty of Lincolnshire. 



In such a country, with such a climate, it seems as if 

 one could almost make repair equal waste, and thus 

 keep death indefinitely at bay. But all men, even the 

 strongest, are living under a death sentence with but 

 an indefinite reprieve. And even yet, with all of our 

 science and health we cannot fully account for those 

 diseases which seemingly pick the very best flower of 

 sinew and strength. 



Isaac Newton, the strong and rugged farmer sickened 

 and died in a week. " The result of a cold caught when 

 sweaty and standing in a draft," the surgeon explained. 

 "The act of God to warn us all of the vanity of life." 

 Acute pneumonia, perhaps is what we would call it 

 a fever that burned out the bellows in a week. In such 

 cases the very strength of the man seems to supply 

 fuel for the flames. 



And so just as the autumn came with changing leaves, 

 the young wife was left to fight the battle of life alone ; 

 alone save for the old, old miracle that her life sup- 

 ported another. 



A wife, a widow, a mother all within a year ! 

 On Christmas day the babe was born born -where 

 most men die : in obscurity. He was so weak and frail 

 66 



