Not far out, we came across a group of romping children. They were
shouting and chasing one another about, as happy dogs do when overjoyed
with excessive energy.
The example the children set was contagious.... Hildreth and I were
soon romping too--when out of the former's sight. We took hands and ran
hard down a hill, and half-way up another one opposite, through our own
natural impetus.
We changed our mood, strolling slowly and thoughtfully till we came to a
small rustic bridge, so pretty it seemed almost like stagecraft, that
spanned, at one leap, one of the countryside's innumerable, flashing
brooks. We stood looking over into the foaming, speeding water.
"There's one thing sure about Eden ... in spite of the squabbles and
disagreements of the elders, the place is a children's paradise."
"That's only because they have all nature for their backyard--no thanks
to their elders," Hildreth answered, looking up into my face with a
quick smile, "the grown-ups find misery wherever, they go."
"Does that mean that you are unhappy?"
"I suppose I should say 'no.'"
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Neither do I, then."
Again that sweet, tantalizing, enigmatic droop of her mouth's corner.
We strolled further ... into the fields again ... with linked comradely
hands. It seemed that she and I had been born brother and sister in some
impossible pastoral idyll.
Pages:
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541