FIELD-DAYS IN CALIFORNIA 



lection of the event for a week afterwards, and 

 will give it a paragraph later in his book, if he 

 writes one. 



In short, the hermit has no objection to neigh- 

 bors ; only they must be of an unobtrusive sort, 

 such as put him under no social obligations, 

 and disturb neither his idleness, one of the 

 most valuable parts of his estate, nor his employ- 

 ment. 



The chipmunk does not vex him with criti- 

 cisms or empty talk, and the sparrow never wishes 

 to know why he does n't go back to the town 

 and live like other people ; and if he keeps on 

 reading or writing, or hoeing his beans, the par- 

 tridge will never dream of taking offense. For a 

 man of his temperament, you perceive, he has 

 contrived to secure some of the chief advantages 

 of both society and solitude. 



A saunterer upon the Santa Barbara beach 

 has not retired from the world. He is seldom 

 out of the sight of human beings. They are con- 

 tinually passing to and fro, more or less noisily, 

 behind his back. But at the same time he is little 

 in danger of missing a wholesome proportion of 

 solitude. He may talk aloud, or break into song, 

 and neither disturb others nor be himself dis- 

 turbed. Even if he carries a field-glass, nobody is 

 likely to ask him what he is looking at, or (about 



22 



