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158
Adventures in Contentment
·
David Grayson
113
He
was
in
no
outward
way
an
extraordinary
man,
nor
was
his
life
eventful.
He
was
born
in
this
neighbourhood:
I
saw
him
lying
quite
still
this
morning
in
the
same
sunny
room
of
the
same
house
where
he
first
saw
the
light
of
day.
Here
among
these
common
hills
he
grew
up,
and
save
for
the
few
years
he
spent
at
school
or
in
the
army,
he
lived
here
all
his
life
long.
In
old
neighbourhoods
and
especially
farm
neighbourhoods
people
come
to
know
one
another--not
clothes
knowledge,
or
money
knowledge--but
that
sort
of
knowledge
which
reaches
down
into
the
hidden
springs
of
human
character.
A
country
community
may
be
deceived
by
a
stranger,
too
easily
deceived,
but
not
by
one
of
its
own
people.
For
it
is
not
a
studied
knowledge;
it
resembles
that
slow
geologic
uncovering
before
which
not
even
the
deep
buried
bones
of
the
prehistoric
saurian
remain
finally
hidden.
I
never
fully
realised
until
this
morning
what
a
supreme
triumph
it
is,
having
grown
old,
to
merit
the
respect
of
those
who
know
us
best.
Mere
greatness
offers
no
reward
to
compare
with
it,
for
greatness
compels
that
homage
which
we
freely
bestow
upon
goodness.
So
long
as
I
live
I
shall
never
forget
this
morning.
I
stood
in
the
door-yard
outside
of
the
open
window
of
the
old
doctor's
home.
It
was
soft,
and
warm,
and
very
still--a
June
Sunday
morning.
An
apple
tree
not
far
off
was
still
in
blossom,
and
across
the
road
on
a
grassy
hillside
sheep
fed
unconcernedly.
Occasionally,
from
the
roadway
where
the
horses
of
the
countryside
were
waiting,
I
heard
the
clink
of
a
bit-ring
or
the
low
voice
of
some
new-comer
seeking
a
place
to
hitch.
Not
half
those
who
came
could
find
room
in
the
house:
they
stood
uncovered
among
the
trees.
From
within,
wafted
through
the
window,
came
the
faint
odour
of
flowers,
and
the
occasional
minor
intonation
of
someone
speaking--and
finally
our
own
Scotch
Preacher!
I
could
not
see
him,
but
there
lay
in
the
cadences
of
his
voice
a
peculiar
note
of
peacefulness,
of
finality.
The
day
before
he
died
Dr.
North
had
said:
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
