you must become to be worthy of them。 I am not speaking so much to those of you whose parents have not been long in Kentucky as to those whose parents were the first to fight for the land until it was safe for others to follow and share it。 Let me tell you that nothing like that was ever done before in all this world。 And if； as I sit here； I can't help seeing that this one of you has no father and this one no mother and this one neither father nor mother and that almost none of you have both； still I cannot help saying； You ought to be happy children！ not that you have lost your parents； but that you have had such parents to lose and to remember！
〃All of you are still too young to know fully what they have done and how the whole world will some day speak of them。 Still； you can understand some things。 For nowadays； when you go to your homes at night； you can lie down and sleep without fear or danger。
〃And in the mornings your fathers go off to the fields to their work； your mothers go off to theirs； you go off to yours； feeling sure that you will all come together at night again。 Some of you can remember when this was not so。 Your father would put his arms around you in the morning and you would never see him again； your mother kissed you； and waved her hand to you as she went out of the gate； and you never knew what became of her afterwards。
〃And don't you recollect how you little babes in the wilderness could never go anywhere？ If you heard wild turkeys gobbling just inside the forest； or an owl hooting； or a paroquet screaming； or a fawn bleating； you were warned never to go there； it was the trick of the Indians。 You could never go near a clump of high weeds； or a patch of cane； or a stump； or a fallen tree。 You must not go to the sugar camp； to get a good drink； or to a salt lick for a pinch of salt； or to the field for an ear of corn； or even to the spring for a bucket of water： so that you could have neither bread nor water nor sugar nor salt。 Always； always； it was the Indians。 If you cried in the night； your mother came over to you and whispered 'Hush！ they are coming！ They will get you！' And you forgot your pain and clung to her neck and listened。
〃Now you are let alone； you go farther and farther away from your homes； you can play hide…and…seek in the canebrakes； you can explore the woods； you fish and you hunt； you are free for the land is safe。
〃And then only think； that by the time you are men and women； Kentucky will no longer be the great wilderness it still is。 There will be thousands and thousands of people scattered over it； and the forest will be cut downcan you ever believe that？cut through and through； leaving some trees here and some trees there。 And the cane will be cut down： can you believe that？ And instead of buffalo and wild…cats and bears and wolves and panthers there will be flocks of the whitest sheep； with little lambs frisking about on the green spring meadows。 And under the big shady trees in the pastures there will be herds of red cattle； so gentle and with backs so soft and broad that you could almost stretch yourselves out and go to sleep on them； and they would never stop chewing their cuds。 Only think of the hundreds of orchards with their apple…blossoms and of the big ripe； golden apples on the trees in the fall！ It will be one of the quietest； gentlest lands that a people ever owned； and this is the gift of your fathers who fought for it and of your mothers who fought for it also。 And you must never forget that you would never have had such fathers； had you not had such mothers to stand by them and to die with them。
〃This is what I have wished to teach you more than anything in your booksthat you may become men and women worthy of them and of what they have left you。 But while being the bravest kind of men and women； you should try also to be gentle men and gentle women。 You boys must get over your rudeness and your roughness； that is all right in you now but it would be all wrong in you afterwards。 And the last and the best thing I have to say to you is be good boys and grow up to be good men！ That sounds very plain and common but I can wish you nothing better for there is nothing better。 As for my little girls； they are good enough as they are！
〃I have talked a long time。 God bless you everyone。 I wish you long and happy lives and I hope we may meet again。 And now all of you must come and shake hands with me and tell me good…bye。〃
They started forward and swarmed toward him； only； as the foremost of them rose and hid her from sight； little Jennie； with one mighty act of defiant joy； hurled her arithmetic out of the window； and a chubby…cheeked veteran on the end of the bench produced a big red apple from between his legs and went for it with a smack of gastric rapture that made his toes curl and sent his glance to the rafters。 They swarmed on him； and he folded his arms around the little ones and kissed them； the older boys； the warriors； brown and barefoot； stepping sturdily forward one by one； and holding out a strong hand that closed on his and held it； their eyes answering his sometimes with clear calm trust and fondness； sometimes lowered and full of tears； other little hands resting unconsciously on each of his shoulders； waiting for their turns。 Then there were softened echoes gay voices； dying away in one direction and another； and thenhimself alone in the roomschool…master no longer。
He waited till there was silence； sitting in his old erect way behind his desk； the bight smile still on his face though his eyes were wet。 Then； with the thought that now he was to take leave of her； he suddenly leaned forward and buried his face on his arms。
XX
IN the Country of the Spirit there is a certain high table…land that lies far on among the out…posts toward Eternity。 Standing on that calm clear height； where the sun shines ever though it shines coldly； the wayfarer may look behind him at his own footprints of self…renunciation； below on his dark zones of storm； and forward to the final land where the mystery； the pain； and the yearning of his life will either be infinitely satisfied or infinitely quieted。 But no man can write a description of this place for those who have never trodden it； by those who have； no description is desired： their fullest speech is Silence。 For here dwells the Love of which there has never been any confession； from which there is no escape； for which there is no hope： the love of a man for a woman who is bound to another； or the love of a woman for a man who is bound to another。 Many there are who know what that means； and this is the reason why the land is always thronged。 But in the throng no one signals another； to walk there is to be counted among the Unseen and the Alone。
To this great wistful height of Silence he had struggled at last after all his days of rising and falling； of climbing and slipping back。 It was no especial triumph for his own strength。 His better strength had indeed gone into it； and the older rightful habitudes of mind that always mean so much to us when we are tried and tempted； and the old beautiful submission of himself to the established laws of the world。 But more than what these had effected was what she herself had been to him and had done for him。 Even his discovery of her at the window that last night had had the effect of bidding him stand off； for he saw there the loyalty and sacredness of wifehood that； however full of suffering； at least asked for itself the privilege and the dignity of suffering unnoticed。
Thus he had come to realize that life had long been leading him blindfold； until one recent day； snatching the bandage from his eyes； she had cried： 〃Here is the parting of three ways； each way a tragedy： choose your way and your tragedy！〃
If he confessed his love and found that she felt but friendship for him； there was the first tragedy。 The wrong in him would lack the answering wrong in her； which sometimes； when the two are put together； so nearly makes up the right。 From her own point of view； he would merely be offering her a delicate ineffaceable insult。 If she had been the sort of woman by whose vanity every conquest is welcomed as a tribute and pursued as an aim； he could never have cared for her at all。 Thus while his love took its very origin from his belief of her nobility； he was premeditating the means of having her prove to him that this did not exist。
If he told her everything and surprised her love for him； there was the second tragedy。 For over there； beyond the scene of such a confession； he could not behold her as anything else than a fatally lowered woman。 The agony of this； even as a possibil…ity； overwhelmed him in advance。 To require of her that she should have a nature of perfect loyalty and at the same time to ask her to pronounce her own falsenesswhat happiness could that bring to him？ If she could be faithless to one man because she loved another； could she not be false to the second； if in time she grew to love a third？ Out of the depths even of his loss of her the terrible cry was wrung from him that no love could long be possible between him and any woman who was not free to love him。
And so at last； with that mingling of selfish and unselfish motives； which is like the mixed blood of the heart itself； he had chosen the third tragedy： the silence that would at least leave each of them blameless。 And so he had come finally to that high cold table…land where the sun of Love shines rather as the white luminary of another world than the red quickener of this。
Over the lofty table…land of Kentucky the sky bent darkest blue； and was filled with wistful； silvery light that afternoon as he walked out to the Falconers'。 His face had never looked so clear； so calm； his very linen never so spotless； or so careful about his neck and wrists； and his eyes held again their old beautiful lightsaddened。
》From away off he could descry her； walking about the yard in the pale sunshine。 He had expected to find her preoccupied as usual； but to…day she was strolling restlessly to and fro in front of the house； quite near it and quite idle。 When she saw him coming； scarce aware of her own actions； she went round the house and walked on quickly away from him。
As