leaving danger of premature success.

And then, much later, some one left at the place a volume of the "Farm
Rhymes" of James Whitcomb Riley; and before Samuel's eyes there opened
a new vision of life. He had been happy; but now suddenly he realized
it. He had loved the blue sky above him, and the deep woods and the
sparkling lake; but now he had words to tell about them--and the
common tasks of his life were transfigured with the glory of song. So
one might milk the cow with stirrings of wonder, and mow in the
meadows to the rhythm of "Knee-deep in June."

From which you may divine that Samuel was what is called an
Enthusiast. He was disposed to take rosy views of things, and to
believe what he was told--especially if it was something beautiful and
appealing. He was given to having ideals and to accepting theories. He
would be stirred by some broad new principle; and he would set to work
to apply it with fervor. But you are not to conclude from this that
Samuel was a fool. On the contrary, when things went wrong he knew it;
and according to his religion, he sought the reason, and he sought
persistently, and with all his might. If all men would do as much, the
world might soon be quite a different place.




CHAPTER II


Such was Samuel's life until he was seventeen, and then a sad
experience came to the family.