Adventures in Contentment

Perhaps I was not consumed with excitement: here was fresh adventure! "A farmer," I said to myself with exultation, "has only to wait long enough and all the world comes his way." I had just begun to grease my farm wagon and was experiencing some difficulty in lifting and steadying the heavy rear axle while I took off the wheel. I kept busily at work, pretending (such is the perversity of the human mind) that I did not see Mr. Starkweather. He stood for a moment watching me; then he said: "Good morning, sir." I looked up and said: "Oh, good morning!" "Nice little farm you have here." "It's enough for me," I replied. I did not especially like the "little." One is human. Then I had an absurd inspiration: he stood there so trim and jaunty and prosperous. So rich! I had a good look at him. He was dressed in a woollen jacket coat, knee-trousers and leggins; on his head he wore a jaunty, cocky little Scotch cap; a man, I should judge, about fifty years old, well-fed and hearty in appearance, with grayish hair and a good-humoured eye. I acted on my inspiration: "You've arrived," I said, "at the psychological moment." "How's that?" "Take hold here and help me lift this axle and steady it. I'm having a hard time of it." The look of astonishment in his countenance was beautiful to see. For a moment failure stared me in the face. His expression said with emphasis: "Perhaps you don't know who I am." But I looked at him with the greatest good feeling and my expression said, or I meant it to say: "To be sure I don't: and what difference does it make, anyway!"