218 CHRONICLES OF A CLAY FARM, 



found as important to agriculture as that of Humphry 

 Davy. 



It is a mere question of Time. We travel slowly : 

 and, like lazy wheelers, throw back our ears and bite 

 the pulling horse : but if ever the shadow of a coming 

 event was visible beforehand, even to the smimagina- 

 tive eye, this of the true mechanism of Cultivation is 

 one that is beginning to be visible. Call the Seer 

 ' visionary ' if you please. Visionary ! of course he is 

 visionary ! it is his place and office, his duty and pro- 

 fession to be so, and to bear the consequence ! He 

 sees in ' vision :' it is by far-sighted vision that he 

 catches sight of the " man's hand " in the horizon, 

 which others cannot see, and will not believe till it 

 touches their eyeballs. And then they will swear 

 they always saw it, and will have forgotten that 

 they ever didn't see it. The man was never yet 

 found that would head a deputation to carry the 

 world's recantation and apology to the derided pro- 

 phet whose derided prophecy has come true. With 

 the advent of the Fact, dies out the prophet's only 

 distinction, to be ridiculed. Such was ever his fate ; 

 and will be, to the end of time ; varied only by the 

 politer form and phase that civilization gives to per- 

 secution. 



