The Black Swans 



seems to have such a serene, contented 

 viewpoint, and when you return from 

 town or from wanderings far afield in 

 quest each of his own particular will 

 o' the wisp it invites attention at once 

 to the fact that many of the best 

 things in life really come to those who 

 only "stand and wait" and bide their 

 time. Why race up and down the 

 world indeed in frantic search of this 

 or that supposed desideratum when 

 all you have to do is to choose a cosy 

 corner in a cottage near an open win- 

 dow where you can see each day and 

 night all that is really most beautiful 

 in all the world? The true measure of 

 all happy hours is peace. 



The clock is not the only thing about 

 the place that takes this complacent 

 view. There is an old gray cat there 

 curled up fast asleep upon a soft 

 cushion Billy made for his especial 

 benefit. You could not excite that cat 

 of ours about anything in this world. 

 In fact, he has not even the feline 

 [104] 



