appearance from day to day, till they begin to flop their wings,
and fly -- then their mean is not beautiful and inspirin'; no, it
is fur from it. It is tuff to see 'em, tuff to see the floppin',
tuff to see their vain efforts to soar through the air, tuff to
see 'em fall percepitously down onto the ground agin. For they
must come there in the end; they are morally certain to.

"Now Ardelia is a sweet pretty lookin' girl, she can set down in a
cushioned arm-chair by a happy fireside, with pretty baby faces a
clusterin' around her and some man's face like the sun a
reflectin' back the light of her happy heart. But she can't sit
up on the pinnacle of fame's pillow. I don't believe she can ever
get up there, I don't. Honestly speakin', I don't."

"Envy!" sez Miss Tutt, "glarin', shameless envy! You don't want
Ardelia to rise! You don't want her to mount that horse I spoke
of; you don't want to own that you see genius in her. But you do,
Josiah Allen's wife, you know you do -- "

"No," sez I, "I don't see it. I see the sweetness of pretty
girlhood, the beauty and charm of openin' life, but I don't see
nothin' else, I don't, honest. I don't believe she has got
genius," sez I, "seein' you put the question straight to me and
depend a answer; seein' her future career depends on her choice
now, I must tell you that I believe she would succeed better in
the millionary trade or the mantilly maker's than she will in
tryin' to mount the horse you speak on.

"Why," sez I, candidly, "some folks can't get up on that horse,
their legs haint strong enough. And if they do manage to get on,