The Rustic : a Protest. 223 



grave misgiving, be trusted to pass a cup of 

 coffee through a surging crowd of hungry mor- 

 tals. It were better not to trust him. Yes ; 

 awkward when he feels out of place, and who is 

 not ? But I have seen this awkward rustic pick 

 up a light rifle rifle, mind ; not shot-gun 

 and bring down a teal that was flying at the rate 

 of a mile a minute ; have seen him drive his 

 team afield and plough a furrow, without other 

 guide than his eye, as straight as the best sur- 

 veyor could have staked it out. I have seen 

 him cut a slender switch, and with a fuzzy string 

 from the grocer's counter make tackle that 

 wound deftly in and out among the overhanging 

 tangle of brush, and bring to his creel the trout 

 that had teased and tormented the skilled an- 

 gler. Awkward, yes ; where the artificialities of 

 town are concerned, but scarcely so when near 

 to Nature. There he treads the earth with that 

 confidence in his strength which makes him bold 

 as a lion where bravery is called for, and gentle 

 as a lamb to all the unoffending world. 



Not content with the triple charge, that, if 

 true, would be too great a load to carry, the 

 author of the dictionary adds that the rustic is 



