IN ELYSIAN FIELDS 177 



leisure is as beautiful in a man's life as in a book. Haste 

 makes waste no less in life than in housekeeping. Yet the 

 man who does not betake himself at once desperately to 

 sawing is called a loafer, though he may be knocking at 

 the door of heaven all the while, which shall surely be 

 opened to him." 



The ideal life would know how to measure labor and 

 leisure. Life without innocent joy is dwelling in penal 

 servitude, for bread and butter do not feed the soul, and 

 the slave may have food and clothes and shelter. Then 

 let us apportion our days time for work and time for 

 play and let the children into the secret. If ours is the 

 right eloquence in spreading the gospel of leisure and the 

 spirit of innocent play, the next generation will have a 

 finer cheerfulness. 



We may knock at the door of heaven, giving praise in 

 pleasure as well as in work. Religion with a sour face 

 and downcast eye was invented by the evil one, we know, 

 because it is so hard to follow when the natural world, 

 free to the hand of the Creator, smiles and is glad. 



A subtle fancy may question what curse sealed the 

 door of the senses that man should live blind to the sub- 

 limity of the heavens and the panorama of the year, deaf 

 to the music of the winds and nature's songsters, and 

 unheedful of the summons of the divine upon earth, until 

 wisdom unlocks the gates to joy. 



Who can cast a shadow when there is 



