30 With Feet to the Earth 



'street lights stopped and open country 

 began. It was a long mile from home, 

 very unpopular after dark, and bound, 

 then, to be my property. During those 

 qualmy evenings I cannot recall a meeting 

 with any human creature, or any ghosts, 

 in fact, I remember that I did not see 

 ghosts, and when the moon shone on the 

 monuments and a scent of flowers filled 

 the air, the peace almost quieted my stom- 

 ach. Perhaps it would be for the health 

 of the world if smoking were only possible 

 among tombs. It would certainly be for 

 its economy. When I think it over, the 

 place seems the fittest in the world, con- 

 sidering the sort of cigars I began with. 



In one of my tramps with a relative we 

 came upon a long, low building of sinister 

 aspect in a lonely field. Ordinarily a field 

 does not suggest loneliness, but this one 

 did. Perhaps the structure made it seem 

 dismal, it was so chill, so habitless, so un- 

 approached. Its doors stood open, some 

 of its windows had been knocked out, 

 weeds grew against it, dirt, dust, and 

 neglect had left their marks. A pigeon 



