THE WAS WITH NATUEE 83 



that wise and sturdy youth who, wrapping his 

 cloak about his face, passes unharmed through the 

 poisonous atmosphere of the landing-place, and 

 hurries a thousand miles away, while ever 



Before him, like a blood-red flag, 



flutters and shines the dream that lures him on. 

 And now at his journey's end comes reality to lay 

 rude hands on him with rough shaking. Mean- 

 while, before he has quite recovered from the 

 shock, that red flag on which his dreamy eyes 

 have been so long fixed stays not, but travels on 

 and on to disappear at last like a sunset cloud in 

 the distant horizon. He does not miss it greatly 

 after all. The actual is much in his thoughts. 

 When a man is buffeting the waves he does not 

 curiously examine the landscape before him and 

 complain that there are no bright flowers on the 

 trees. New experience takes the place of vanished 

 dreams, which, like water-lilies, blossom only on 

 stagnant pools. Here are none of the innumerable 

 appliances to secure comfort he has been used to 

 from infancy, regarding them almost as spontane- 

 ous productions of the earth ; no hand to perform 

 a hundred necessary offices, so that this dainty 

 gentleman is obliged to blacken his own boots, 

 tame and harness to the plow his own bullocks 

 or horses, kill and cook his own mutton. Nothing 

 is here, in fact, but harsh Nature reluctant to be 

 subdued; while he, to subdue her and make his 



