HINDRANCES AND HELPS. 315 



now the little hand that might have stolen posses- 

 sion of it, is stiff is fast ! God has it. 



And when spring wakens all its echoes of the 

 wren's song of the blue-bird's warble, of the plain- 

 tive cry of mistress cuckoo (she daintily called her 

 mistress cuckoo) from the edge of the wood what 

 eager, earnest, delighted listeners have we lifting 

 the blue eyes, shaking back the curls dancing to 

 the melody ? And when the violets repeat the 

 sweet lesson they learned last year of the sun and of 

 the warmth, and bring their fragrant blue petals 

 forth who shall give the rejoicing welcome, and be 

 the swift and light-footed herald of the flowers? 

 Who shall gather them with the light fingers, she 

 put to the task who ? 



And the sweetest flowers wither, and the sweet- 

 est flowers wait for the dainty fingers that shall 

 pluck them, never again ! 



1} Envoi. 



I HAVE now completed the task which I had as- 

 signed to myself; and I do it with the burden- 

 some conviction that not one half of the questions 

 which suggest themselves in connection with Farm- 

 life in America, can be discussed much less resolved 

 within so narrow a compass. Yet I have endeav- 

 ored to light up, with my somewhat disorderly array 



