Music of the Wild 



In my home all my literary and artistic ef- 

 forts have a critic; the keenest they ever know: 

 one who cuts to the hone and spares not. She 

 My Critic IS actnated solely hy love. Being sensitive to 

 criticisms from other sonrces. she wonld ])oint out 

 all the flaws in my work herself, and so prevent 

 others from seeing them too late to ])e avoided. 



"Von ne\er are going to put in that hop-toad!" 

 she exclaims. 



"Why notr' 



"Because this is a music-hook, and the song of 

 a hop-toad is not worth mentioning." 



"Well, if it can not sing much it can set a 

 poet singing, -which amounts to the same thing. 

 Listen !" — 



Howdy, Mister Hop-Toad! Glad to see j'ou out! 

 Bin a month o' Sundays sence I see 5'ou hereabout. 



Mister Hop-Toad, honest-true-Springtime-don't you love it.'' 

 You old rusty rascal you, at the bottom of it ! 



Swell that fat old throat o' yourn and lemme see you swaller ; 

 Straighten up and h'ist your head ! You don't owe a dollar ! 



Hulk, sulk, and blink away, you old bloat-eyed rowdy ! 

 Hain't you got a word to say? Won't you tell me howdy.''" 



^Vhy should a hop-toad have a voice, or strain 

 The Song his throat, when he can compel a poet to sing for 

 „ *^T, ^. him like that^ Burns sang for a louse and a field 



Hop-Toad P' 



mouse, Bryant for a mosquito, Emerson for the 



190 



