ONCE UPON A TIME 149 
I had seen much of their unbidden and unre- 
quited beauty, but not im such freshet as this, 
not so thick-set in the sod nor so bent on showing 
the sky just what sunset pink on snow it could 
indite as a real poet when it truly tried. Then 
hustled into the procession (for “hustle” every- 
thing did and “hike,” hustled into view and 
hiked out of view. Whoever invented those 
words did service for this event. You may say 
those words are not poetical nor in good form, 
but you should be told, good friend, that good 
form in the notion of the Creator is the thing 
which answers the needs of the time, and these 
words surely answer the need of this time of 
the year and me). Hustling into sight with a 
leap, like the coming of a company of children 
topsy-turvy with joy and laughter, and fret-free 
as the wild blowing of a summer wind. That is 
the way of the coming of things this day along 
this way. Then hustled into sight dwarf elders 
which were growing low against the ground and 
clustered in groups like politicians at a conven- 
tion, and the flowers were as the foam from sea 
waves caught and held aloft. The beauty was 
unthinkable but undeniable. I rubbed my eyes 
lest I should be dreaming, but when could I 
dream such a beatific dream as this, spume from 
a shorewave here at toss on a windy prairie? 
Sea foam so far back and inland? But here it 
was. I saw it with mine own eyes; and they are 
good when I do not wear glasses. 
