第12部分(第6/7 頁)

　with　the　love　which　now　strengthens　in　me　day　by　day！　Beginning　with　my　house；　every　stick　and　stone　of　it　is　dear　to　me　as　my　heart's　blood；　I　find　myself　laying　an　affectionate　hand　on　the　door…post；　giving　a　pat；　as　I　go　by；　to　the　garden　gate。　Every　tree　and　shrub　in　the　garden　is　my　beloved　friend；　I　touch　them；　when　need　is；　very　tenderly；　as　though　carelessness　might　pain；　or　roughness　injure　them。　If　I　pull　up　a　weed　in　the　walk；　I　look　at　it　with　a　certain　sadness　before　throwing　it　away；　it　belongs　to　my　home。

And　all　the　country　round　about。　These　villages；　how　delightful　are　their　names　to　my　ear！　I　find　myself　reading　with　interest　all　the　local　news　in　the　Exeter　paper。　Not　that　I　care　about　the　people；　with　barely　one　or　two　exceptions；　the　people　are　nothing　to　me；　and　the　less　I　see　of　them　the　better　I　am　pleased。　But　the　PLACES　grow　ever　more　dear　to　me。　I　like　to　know　of　anything　that　has　happened　at　Heavitree；　or　Brampford　Speke；　or　Newton　St。　Cyres。　I　begin　to　pride　myself　on　knowing　every　road　and　lane；　every　bridle　path　and　foot…way　for　miles　about。　I　like　to　learn　the　names　of　farms　and　of　fields。　And　all　this　because　here　is　my　abiding　place；　because　I　am　home　for　ever。

It　seems　to　me　that　the　very　clouds　that　pass　above　my　house　are　more　interesting　and　beautiful　than　clouds　elsewhere。

And　to　think　that　at　one　time　I　called　myself　a　socialist；　munist；　anything　you　like　of　the　revolutionary　kind！　Not　for　long；　to　be　sure；　and　I　suspect　that　there　was　always　something　in　me　that　scoffed　when　my　lips　uttered　such　things。　Why；　no　man　living　has　a　more　profound　sense　of　property　than　I；　no　man　ever　lived；　who　was；　in　every　fibre；　more　vehemently　an　individualist。

XIII

In　this　high　summertide；　I　remember　with　a　st