134 With Feet to the Earth 



But let us not resign hope, for several re- 

 forms have been worked in human affairs 

 through directness and plain dealing. Even 

 politics may be improved, some time. As 

 to reform in language (which ought to be 

 written phonetically), it is hardest of all, 

 because it takes such a consensus ; but in 

 English we have got rid of the u in color, 

 we spell jail as it sounds, instead of calling 

 it a gaol, and in German the eye-destroying 

 hair-lines are giving way to Roman type. 

 Our own tongue is superb in its opportuni- 

 ties for improvement. Some reforms have 

 been worked in our poetry. It has become 

 hard to understand, so that it is not much 

 read, but it has outgrown certain tricks of 

 its masters. One useful thing learned in the 

 last generation is that nature can go about 

 her business without advice or ordering. 

 Our older poets did not realize that. They 

 always began their work by telling nature 

 to do something that she was doing already. 

 The poet went out on his door-step and 

 said, "Roll on, silver moon," and, all of a 

 sudden, the moon continued to keep on as 

 if he had not said a word. Or, he rambled 



