The Bean-Field

seothercropsthanthese?Whyconcernourselvessomuchaboutourbeansforseed,andnotbeconcernedatallaboutanewgenerationofmen?WeshouldreallybefedandcheeredifwhenwemetamanweweresuretoseethatsomeofthequalitieswhichIhavenamed,whichweallprizemorethanthoseotherproductions,butwhichareforthemostpartbroadcastandfloatingintheair,hadtakenrootandgrowninhim.Herecomessuchasubtileandineffablequality,forinstance,astruthorjustice,thoughtheslightestamountornewvarietyofit,alongtheroad.Ourambassadorsshouldbeinstructedtosendhomesuchseedsasthese,andCongresshelptodistributethemoveralltheland.Weshouldneverstanduponceremonywithsincerity.Weshouldnevercheatandinsultandbanishoneanotherbyourmeanness,iftherewerepresentthekernelofworthandfriendliness.Weshouldnotmeetthusinhaste.MostmenIdonotmeetatall,fortheyseemnottohavetimetheyarebusyabouttheirbeans.Wewouldnotdealwithamanthusploddingever,leaningonahoeoraspadeasastaffbetweenhiswork,notasamushroom,butpartiallyrisenoutoftheearth,somethingmorethanerect,likeswallowsalightedandwalkingontheground:— “Andashespake,hiswingswouldnowandthen Spread,ashemeanttofly,thencloseagain,” sothatweshouldsuspectthatwemightbeconversingwithanangel.Breadmaynotalwaysnourishusbutitalwaysdoesusgood,iteventakesstiffnessoutofourjoints,andmakesussuppleandbuoyant,whenweknewnotwhatailedus,torecognizeanygenerosityinmanorNature,toshareanyunmixedandheroicjoy. Ancientpoetryandmythologysuggest,atleast,thathusbandrywasonceasacredartbutitispursuedwithirreverenthasteandheedlessnessbyus,ourobjectbeingtohavelargefarmsandlargecropsmerely.Wehavenofestival,norprocession,norceremony,notexceptingourCattle-showsandsocalledThanksgivings,bywhichthefarmerexpressesasenseofthesacrednessofhiscalling,orisremindedofitssacredorigin.Itisthepremiumandthefeastwhichtempthim.HesacrificesnottoCeresandtheTerrestrialJove,buttotheinfernalPlutusrather.Byavariceandselfishness,andagrovellinghabit,fromwhichnoneofusisfree,ofregardingthesoilasproperty,orthemeansofacquiringpropertychiefly,thelandscapeisdeformed,husbandryisdegradedwithus,andthefarmerleadsthemeanestoflives.HeknowsNaturebutasarobber.Catosaysthattheprofitsofagricultureareparticularlypiousorjust,(maximequepiusqu?stus),andaccordingtoVarrotheoldRomans“calledthesameearthMotherandCeres,andthoughtthattheywhocultivateditledapiousandusefullife,andthattheyalonewereleftoftheraceofKingSaturn.” Wearewonttoforgetthatthesunlooksonourcultivatedfieldsandontheprairiesandforestswithoutdistinction.Theyallreflectandabsorbhisraysalike,andtheformermakebutasmallpartofthegloriouspicturewhichhebeholdsinhisdailycourse.Inhisviewtheearthisallequallycultivatedlikeagarden.Thereforeweshouldreceivethebenefitofhislightandheatwithacorrespondingtrustandmagnanimity.WhatthoughIvaluetheseedofthesebeans,andharvestthatinthefalloftheyear?ThisbroadfieldwhichIhavelookedatsolonglooksnottomeastheprincipalcultivator,butawayfrommetoinfluencesmoregenialtoit,whichwaterandmakeitgreen.Thesebeanshaveresultswhicharenotharvestedbyme.Dotheynotgrowforwoodchuckspartly?Theearofwheat(inLatinspica,obsoletelyspeca,fromspe,hope)shouldnotbetheonlyhopeofthehusbandmanitskernelorgrain(granumfromgerendo,bearing)isnotallthatitbears.How,then,canourharvestfail?ShallInotrejoicealsoattheabundanceoftheweedswhoseseedsarethegranaryofthebirds?Itmatterslittlecomparativelywhetherthefieldsfillthefarmer’sbarns.Thetruehusbandmanwillceasefromanxiety,asthesquirrelsmanifestnoconcernwhetherthewoodswillbearchestnutsthisyearornot,andfinishhislaborwitheveryday,relinquishingallclaimtotheproduceofhisfields,andsacrificinginhismindnotonlyhisfirstbuthislastfruitsalso.