A YEAR IN THE FIELDS 



is the natural covering of the fields. There 

 are but four weeds that I know of — milk- 

 weed, live-forever, Canada thistle, and toad- 

 flax — that it will not run out in a good 

 soil. We crop it and mow it year after 

 year ; and yet, if the season favors, it is 

 sure to come again. Fields that have never 

 known the plow, and never been seeded by 

 man, are yet covered with grass. And in 

 human nature, too, weeds are by no means 

 in the ascendant, troublesome as they are. 

 The good green grass of love and truthful- 

 ness and common sense is more universal, 

 and crowds the idle weeds to the wall. 



But weeds have this virtue : they are not 

 easily discouraged ; they never lose heart 

 entirely ; they die game. If they cannot 

 have the best, they will take up with the 

 poorest ; if fortune is unkind to them to- 

 day, they hope for better luck to-morrow ; 

 if they cannot lord it over a corn-hill, they 

 will sit humbly at its foot and accept what 

 comes ; in all cases they make the most of 

 their opportunities. 



158 



