nd
Harriet and buried her face on Harriet's shoulder. In response to
Harriet's question she said:

"Oh, an old, old trouble. No _new_ trouble."

That was all there was to it. All the new troubles were the troubles of
other people. You may say this isn't much of a clue; well it isn't, and
yet I like to have it in mind. It gives me somehow the _other_ woman who
is not expected or predictable or commonplace. I seem to understand our
Old Maid the better; and when I think of her bustling, inquisitive,
helpful, gentle ways and the shine of her white soul, I'm sure I don't
know what we should do without her in this community.

VIII

A ROADSIDE PROPHET

From my upper field, when I look across the countryside, I can see in
the distance a short stretch of the gray town road. It winds out of a
little wood, crosses a knoll, and loses itself again beyond the trees of
an old orchard. I love that spot in my upper field, and the view of the
road beyond. When I am at work there I have only to look up to see the
world go by--part of it going down to the town, and part of it coming up
again. And I never see a traveller on the hill, especially if he be
afoot, without feeling that if I met him I should like him, and that
whatever he had to say I should like to hear.

* * * * *

At first I could not make out what the man was doing. Most of the
travellers I see from my field are like the people I commonly meet--so
intent upon their destination that they take no joy of the road they
travel. They do not even see me here in the fields; and if they did,
they would probably think me a slow and unprofitable person. I have
nothing that they can carry away and store up in barns, or reduce to
percentages, or calculate as profit and loss; they do not perceive what
a wonderful place this is; they do not know that here, too, we gather a
crop of contentment.

But apparently this man was the pattern of a loiterer. I saw him stop on
the knoll and look widely about him. Then he stooped down as though
searching for something, then moved slowly forward for a few steps. Just
at that point in the road lies a great smooth boulder which road-makers
long since dead had rolled out upon the wayside. Here to my
astonishment I saw him kneel upon the ground. He had something in one
hand with which he seemed intently occupied. After a time he stood up,
and retreating a few steps down the road, he scanned the boulder
narrowl