It was his first meeting with the
little demon that rebels in a man after he thinks his character
and his reactions thoroughly established, and he shuddered as he
realized how close the strange imp had pulled him to the
precipice. Yesterday, that precipice had seemed a new paradise;
now it was a yawning chasm --and he drew back, frightened.
Cows, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens, turkeys, dogs, barn
cats--all do not remain patient while the man who owns them lies
in bed dreaming dreams. They wait a while and then get nervous.
The many messages for food which they sent to Martin forced him
to spring out of bed and hurry to them, for nothing is as
unbearably insistent as a barn and yard full of living things
clamoring their determination to have something to eat. As Martin
ran to stop the bedlam, he saw the world as an enormous, empty
stomach, at the opening of which he stood, hurling in the feed as
fast as his muscles would permit. It was all there was to
farming--raising crops and then shovelling the hay and the grain
into these stomachs. Martin stood back a few feet and with loving
eyes watched his animals enjoy their food. Here were the
creatures he loved. The fine herd of Holstein cows--their big
eyes looked at him with such trust! And their black and white
markings--so spick and span with shininess because he threw salt
on them that each cow might lick the other clean--their heavy
milk veins, great udders, and backs as straight as a die--all
appealed to his sense of the beautiful.
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