"
A Self-supporting Home Kate V. St. Maur
Folks back Home Eugene Wood
Adventures in Contentment David Grayson
Adventures in Friendship " "
The Friendly Road " "
New Lives for Old William Carleton
A Living without a Boss Anonymous
The Fat of the Land J.W.  Streeter
The Jonathan Papers Elizabeth Woodbridge
Adopting an Abandoned Farm Kate Sanborn
Out-door Studies T.W.  Higginson
The Women of America Elizabeth McCracken
The Country Home E.P.  Powell
Blessing the Cornfields (in Hiawatha) H.W.  Longfellow
The Corn Song (in The Huskers) J.G.  Whittier
Charles Dudley Warner
  (in American Writers of To-day, pp. 89-103) H.C.  Vedder

THE SINGING MAN

JOSEPHINE PRESTON PEABODY

I

He sang above the vineyards of the world. 
And after him the vines with woven hands
Clambered and clung, and everywhere unfurled
Triumphing green above the barren lands;
Till high as gardens grow, he climbed, he stood,
Sun-crowned with life and strength, and singing toil,
And looked upon his work; and it was good: 
The corn, the wine, the oil.

He sang above the noon.  The topmost cleft
That grudged him footing on the mountain scars
He planted and despaired not; till he left
His vines soft breathing to the host of stars. 
He wrought, he tilled; and even as he sang,
The creatures of his planting laughed to scorn
The ancient threat of deserts where there sprang
The wine, the oil, the corn!

He sang not for abundance.—­Over-lords
Took of his tilth.  Yet was there still to reap,
The portion of his labor; dear rewards
Of sunlit day, and bread, and human sleep. 
He sang for strength; for glory of the light. 
He dreamed above the furrows, ‘They are mine!’
When all he wrought stood fair before his sight
With corn, and oil, and wine.

Truly, the light is sweet
Yea, and a pleasant thing
It is to see the Sun.
And that a man should eat
His bread that he hath won;—­
(So is it sung and said),
That he should take and keep,
After his laboring,
The portion of his labor in his bread,
His bread that he hath won;
Yea, and in quiet sleep,
When all is done.