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quite such ardent enthusiasm of detail； and the more questions I asked the
more eager the story； until finally it became necessary for me to go to the
barn； the cattle…pen； the pig…pen and the chicken…house； that I might
visualize more clearly the scene of the tragedy。 The whole family trooped
after us like a classic chorus； but Mr。 Clark himself kept the centre of the
stage。
How plainly I could read upon the face of the land the story of this hill
farmer and his meagre existencehis ill…directed effort to wring a poor
living for his family from these upland fields； his poverty； and； above all；
his evident lack of knowledge of his own calling。 Added to these things；
and perhaps the most depressing of all his difficulties； was the utter
loneliness of the task； the feeling that it mattered little to any one whether
the Clark family worked or not； or indeed whether they lived or died。 A
perfectly good American family was here being wasted； with the precious
land they lived on； because no one had taken the trouble。 to make them
feel that they were a part of this Great American Job。
As we went back to the house； a freckled…nosed neighbour's boy
came in at the gate。
〃A letter for you； Mr。 Clark；〃 said he。 〃I brought it up with our mail。〃
〃A letter！〃 exclaimed Mrs。 Clark。
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〃A letter！〃 echoed at least three of the children in unison。
〃Probably a dun from Brewster；〃 said Mr。 Clark discouragingly。
I felt a curious sensation about the heart； and an eagerness of interest I
have rarely experienced。 I had no idea what a mere lettera mere
unopened unread letterwould mean to a family like this。
〃It has no stamp on it！〃 exclaimed the older girl。
Mrs。 Clark turned it over wonderingly in her hands。 Mr。 Clark hastily
put on a pair of steel…bowed spectacles。
〃Let me see it；〃 he said； and when he also had inspected it minutely he
solemnly tore open the envelope and drew forth my letter。
'I assure you I never awaited the reading of any writing of mine with
such breathless interest。 How would they take it？ Would they catch the
meaning that I meant to convey？ And would they suspect me of having
written it？
Mr。 Clark sat on the porch and read the letter slowly through to the end；
turned the sheet over and examined it carefully； and then began reading it
again to himself； Mrs。 Clark leaning over his shoulder。
〃What does it mean？〃 asked Mr。 Clark。
〃It's too good to be true；〃 said Mrs。 Clark with a sigh。
I don't know how long the discussion might have continuedprobably
for days or weekshad not the older girl； now flushed of face and rather
pretty； looked at me and said breathlessly （she was as sharp as a briar）：
〃You wrote it。〃
I stood the battery of all their eyes for a moment； smiling and rather
excited。
〃Yes；〃 I said earnestly； 〃I wrote it； and I mean every word of it。〃
I had anticipated some shock of suspicion and inquiry； but to my
surprise it was accepted as simply as a neighbourly good morning。 I
suppose the mystery of it was eclipsed by my astonishing presence there
upon the scene with my tin whistle。
At any rate； it was a changed； eager； interested family which now
occupied the porch of that dilapidated farmhouse。 And immediately we
fell into a lively discussion of crops and farming； and indeed the whole
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farm question； in which I found both the man and his wife singularly
acutesharpened upon the stone of hard experience。
Indeed； I found right here； as I have many times found among our
American farmers； an intelligence （a literacy growing out of what I believe
to be improper education） which was better able to discuss the problems of
rural life than to grapple with and solve them。 A dull； illiterate Polish
farmer； I have found； will sometimes succeed much better at the job of life
than his American neighbour。
Talk with almost any man for half an hour； and you will find that his
conversation； like an old…fashioned song； has a regularly recurrent chorus。
I soon discovered Mr。 Clark's chorus。
〃Now； if only I had a little cash；〃 he sang； or； 〃If I had a few dollars； I
could do so and so。〃
Why； he was as helplessly； dependent upon money as any soft…handed
millionairess。 He considered himself poor and helpless because he lacked
dollars； whereas people are really poor and helpless only when they lack
courage and faith。
We were so much absorbed in our talk that I was greatly surprised to
hear Mrs。 Clark's voice at the doorway。
〃Won't you come in to supper？〃
After we had eaten； there was a great demand for more of my tin
whistle （oh； I know how Caruso must feel！）； and I played over every
blessed tune I knew； and some I didn't； four or five times； and after that we
told stories and cracked jokes in a way that must have been utterly
astonishing in that household。 After the children had been； yes； driven to
bed； Mr。 Clark seemed about to drop back into his lamentations over his
condition （which I have no doubt had come to give him a sort of pleasure）；
but I turned to Mrs。 Clark； whom I had come to respect very highly； and
began to talk about the little garden she had started； which was about the
most enterprising thing about the place。
〃Isn't it one of the finest things in this world；〃 said I； 〃to go out into a
good garden in the summer days and bring in loaded baskets filled with
beets and cabbages and potatoes； just for the gathering？〃
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I knew from the expression on Mrs。 Clark's face that I had touched a
sounding note。
〃Opening the green corn a little at the top to see if it is ready and then
stripping it off and tearing away the moist white husks〃
〃And picking tomatoes？〃 said Mrs。 Clark。 〃And knuckling the
watermelons to see if they are ripe？ Oh； I tell you there are thousands of
people in this country who'd like to be able to pick their dinner in the
garden！〃
〃It's fine！〃 said Mrs。 Clark with amused enthusiasm； 〃but I like best to
hear the hens cackling in the barnyard i