The Least Sandpiper 



""" W ?S5 *»*&£' 



Taken near Santa Barbara 



UP TO THE EYES 



Photo by the Author 



and he may guess for himself what influences have wrought to preserve 

 so exquisite a thing in a world that reels with shock and countershock 

 of human strife. Down upon your knees, then, or down on hands and 

 knees to try if they will have you. You will suffer first, besides certain 

 physical discomforts of untried muscles, you will suffer pangs of conscience, 

 that your fellows, or yourself, perhaps, have ever betrayed these innocents. 

 For the uneasy shiftings and incipient retreats which you see are mani- 

 festly no part of minutilline nature, but only an aftergrowth wrought 

 by centuries of gun-fire. Then, mayhap, the Killdeer, remembrancer of 

 our ancient sins, though evil-minded himself, will rehearse the danger 

 and urge the little waifs to flight. But they, confiding souls, though 

 swept off their feet by a sudden onslaught of evil counsel, will return 

 presently to the same spot, forgiving, or else loth to believe so monstrous 

 an accusation. A momentary pause, and then a babel of tiny sounds 

 ensues. Life in all its varied functions breaks out afresh. Toilets are 



1240 



