on my farm that I wasn't quite sure whether I owned it or it
owned me. And I made up my mind I'd get away for a while from my
own horses and cattle and see what the world was like. I wanted
to see how people lived up here, and what they are thinking
about, and how they do their farming."

As I talked of my plans and of the duty one had, as I saw it, to
be a good broad man as well as a good farmer, I grew more and
more interested and enthusiastic. Mr. Stanley took his pipe
slowly from his mouth, held it poised until it finally went out,
and sat looking at me with a rapt expression. I never had a
better audience. Finally, Mr. Stanley said very earnestly:

"And you have felt that way, too?"

"Why, father!" exclaimed Mrs. Stanley, in astonishment.

Mr. Stanley hastily put his pipe back into his mouth and
confusedly searched in his pockets for a match; but I knew I had
struck down deep into a common experience. Here was this brisk
and prosperous farmer having his dreams too--dreams that even
his wife did not know!

So I continued my talk with even greater fervour. I don't think
that the boy Ben understood all that I said, for I was dealing
with experiences common mostly to older men, but he somehow
seemed to get the spirit of it, for quite unconsciously he began
to hitch his chair toward me, then he laid his hand on my
chair-arm and finally and quite simply he rested his arm against
mine and looked at me with all his eyes. I keep learning that