THE COMING OF FELICITY 279 



north-west boundary, and therein went my hand- 

 cleaned seed. 



When seeding was over I looked out upon the 

 new fields, newly sown with grain which I had 

 cleaned with my best effort, and felt that I had 

 done all I could towards the harvest of 1907. In 

 my diary I find this entry : 



" The most difficult time of the first year is over ; 

 another has its fair start. It was a year of much 

 toil and a certain amount of hardship, disappoint- 

 ment, and worry ; but always there was the inspira- 

 tion and consolation of the beasts. In spite of 

 failures and my many failings, especially a habit of 

 occasionally doing my work in a rebellious sort of 

 way — one may just as well do the inevitable 

 amiably — I have made a step forward in my work 

 and got on terms with the daily round. I am going 

 strong — absolutely independent of people and cir- 

 cumstances ! " 



Here the record of my diary ceases for some 

 months, as if the arrogance of the last phrase had 

 bared itself to invite annihilation from the arrows 

 which were lurking in the future. Yet with truth 

 and without offence against the spirit of humility 

 I might have written : " When all my sins great 

 and small stand up to claim me, let it stand for my 

 defence against the sin of omission that in those 

 frozen months which waylaid spring in 1907 I 

 cleaned seed-grain with all my power." 



