The Rambles of an Idler 



and danger equal to facing the average -wild 

 beast. I do not underrate the desirability of 

 travel or of adventure in some far-off land, but 

 while content at home have no longing for wan- 

 dering beyond nightly reach of my den. Let 

 the Antipodians glory in their Antipodes. 

 Some trifling bits of wildness are all I have, but 

 while I have them, let me believe they are still 

 genuinely wild and the old oaks not yet deserted 

 by the good god, Pan. 



Expectation, based upon hearsay, has usually 

 a sad ending. Fancy has only un-real colors on 

 her palette and paints a livelier rainbow than 

 Nature allows. So, it is well to curb our en- 

 thusiasm when recounting our experience, lest 

 our friend think we have found a real diamond 

 which, in truth, is but paste. But, if we disap- 

 points others, as surely others disappoint us 

 and the honors are easy. I have been induced 

 to travel far to see that which failed to interest 

 me and have brought others to some out of the 

 way nook in which I delighted, only to vex them 

 sorely over their loss of time. It is far better 

 to keep your discoveries to yourself and save 

 being laughed at for retaining a child's enthu- 



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