A SURPRISE OF THE DESERT 51 
him wear the dunce’s cap. But, coming to think 
on it, to such dunces the stool and cap would 
be a supererogation. Let us economize on dunce 
caps. Let us grow eager in the desert nor cog- 
itate on follies or wisdoms. There is time 
enough for that when the desert is faint as a 
daydawn seen in childhood. And the day was 
here and the desert wanderings and the curling 
heat: and the dunce was abroad and no one 
near to hector him. So mote be it. 
An arroyo came to a sudden, abrupt head, 
blunt like the prow of an ocean freighter. It 
was cut out of the desert as by an ax, hacked 
down ruthlessly and with scant economy; for 
what is land worth to nature, desert land in 
particular? and a gash was made beyond the 
healing. Just a dull adobe wall built for no 
reason, staying for no reason, reasonless as the 
rest of the desert. 
And at the verge where the arroyo took its 
inartistic and unnecessary start, within a three 
inches space of the leap off, a bunch of purple 
aster stood in radiant flower! Had I found a 
wild rose growing mid-sea, I think I had not 
been whipped into wider surprise. A purple 
aster always makes me wonder. I see them, 
see them and want to see them still. Were I 
administering the out-of-doors, I would make 
the purple asters perennials. I should wish God 
might choose to grow them for an amaranth in 
his heaven for our earthly immortelle. The blue 
