BIRD PARADISE 159 



gravelly bottom of the flowing brook, but those 

 I am acquainted with are altogether careless 

 about dwelling in a clean house. Still, I am 

 quite willing to grant that cleanliness with the 

 frogs may be many removes lower in the scale 

 than would suit his human brothers. At the 

 time of my visit I found the venerable citizens of 

 the place sitting in state, each on his own hassock 

 of grass — all looking wise, as only frogs can. I 

 gave the frogs the credit of saying just what I 

 would have said if I had been in their place. In 

 other words, if I had been a frog, as I was a 

 man, I should certainly have said, " Cool, cool, 

 comfortable, comfortable." Then, that ker-chug 

 with which the fellows took the water, what a 

 world of comfort there is in it and how it all 

 suits the frog perfectly. 



Each season of the year I take a long stroll in 

 Bird Paradise. To each season belongs its own 

 expression of paradise life. Just the other day 

 I made my bow there, and I am sure the homage 

 paid by the parson was fraught with large good. 

 I don't know that I ever go into this "house 

 beautiful " without seeing and feeling something 

 new, and I am not quite sure that I ever get into 



