LOOKING BACKWARD 245 



admission of the article on the ground that " The 

 flippant and puerile spirit pervading the whole 

 article does not accord with the dignity of the 

 paper or the importance of the subject." 



But I have afforded amusement for my neigh- 

 bors, my friends and the public generally by the 

 variety of my experiences, and - Well, a person 

 who creates amusement for the public is not 

 wholly useless in this world, and so I feel that I 

 have done something for others. Besides, there 

 are many persons who have actually added mate- 

 rially to their income from my farming and gar- 

 dening operations. 



I have bought cows and horses, hens and pigs, 

 fertilizers and fruit trees, deodorizers and disin- 

 fectants, cedar posts and wire-netting, patent 

 feeders and patent foods, and have, for each and 

 every horse, hen, pig, bag, barrel, and other 

 article, paid somewhat over the market price. 



I have exchanged, dickered, traded, bartered, 

 and trafficked in these same articles, and have, 

 I believe, invariably been worsted in these en- 

 counters; and so I feel that I have in a double 

 measure been of benefit to my friends and ac- 

 quaintances, by contributing liberally to the joy 

 of the community and to its financial welfare. 



Now, what have I done for myself ? I have to 

 a great extent lost my irritability. I have opened 

 a large house to my friends and guests, have had 



