voices，andbythelight-Icraveyourpardon-bythetwilightofthreevilecandlesfilteredthroughthemediumofmymosquitobar。Badinkbeingoftheparty，Iwritequiteblindfold，andcanonlyhopeyoumaybegrantedtoreadthatwhichIamunabletoseewhilewriting。
　　IsaidIwastired；itisamildphrase；mybackachesliketoothache；whenIshutmyeyestosleep，IknowIshallseebeforethem-aphenomenontowhichbothFannyandIarequiteaccustomed-endlessvividdeepsofgrassandweed，eachplantparticularanddistinct，sothatIshalllieinertinbody，andtransactforhoursthementalpartofmydaybusiness，choosingthenoxiousfromtheuseful。AndinmydreamsIshallbehaulingonrecalcitrants，andsufferingstingsfromnettles，stabsfromcitronthorns，fierybitesfromants，sickeningresistancesofmudandslime，evasionsofslimyroots，deadweightofheat，suddenpuffsofair，suddenstartsfrombird-callsinthecontiguousforest-somemimickingmyname，somelaughter，somethesignalofawhistle，andlivingoveragainatlargethebusinessofmyday。
　　ThoughIwritesolittle，Ipassallmyhoursoffield-workincontinualconverseandimaginarycorrespondence。Iscarcepullupaweed，butIinventasentenceonthemattertoyourself；itdoesnotgetwritten；AUTANTENEMPORTENTLES
　　VENTS；buttheintentisthere，andformeinsomesortthecompanionship。To-day，forinstance，wehadagreattalk。I
　　wastoiling，thesweatdrippingfrommynose，inthehotfitafterasquallofrain:methoughtyouaskedme-frankly，wasIhappy。HappysaidI；Iwasonlyhappyonce；thatwasatHyeres；itcametoanendfromavarietyofreasons，declineofhealth，changeofplace，increaseofmoney，agewithhisstealingsteps；sincethen，asbeforethen，Iknownotwhatitmeans。ButIknowpleasurestill；pleasurewithathousandfaces，andnoneperfect，athousandtonguesallbroken，athousandhands，andallofthemwithscratchingnails。HighamongtheseIplacethisdelightofweedingoutherealonebythegarrulouswater，underthesilenceofthehighwood，brokenbyincongruoussoundsofbirds。Andtakemylifeallthrough，lookatitforeandback，andupsidedown，-thoughIwouldveryfainchangemyself-Iwouldnotchangemycircumstances，unlessitweretobringyouhere。
　　AndyetGodknowsperhapsthisintercourseofwritingservesaswell；andIwonder，wereyouhereindeed，wouldIcommunesocontinuallywiththethoughtofyou。Isay’Iwonder’foraform；Iknow，andIknowIshouldnot。
　　Sofar，andmuchfurther，theconversationwent，whileI
　　gropedinslimeafterviscousroots，nursingandsparinglittlespearsofgrass，andretreatingevenwithoutcry
　　fromtheprodofthewildlime。IwonderifanyonehadeverthesameattitudetoNatureasIhold，andhaveheldforsolong？Thisbusinessfascinatesmelikeatuneorapassion；
　　yetallthewhileIthrillwithastrongdistaste。Thehorrorofthething，objectiveandsubjective，isalwayspresenttomymind；thehorrorofcreepingthings，asuperstitioushorrorofthevoidandthepowersaboutme，thehorrorofmyowndevastationandcontinualmurders。Thelifeoftheplantscomesthroughmyfingertips，theirstrugglesgotomyheartlikesupplications。Ifeelmyselfblood-
　　boltered；thenIlookbackonmyclearedgrass，andcountmyselfanallyinafairquarrel，andmakestoutmyheart。
　　ItisbutalittlewhilesinceIlaysickinSydney，beatingthefieldsaboutthenavyandDeanSwiftandDryden’sLatinhymns；judgeifIlovethisreinvigoratingclimate，whereI
　　canalreadytoiltillmyheadswimsandeverystringinthepoorjumpingJackashenowliesinbedacheswithakindofyearningstrain，difficulttosufferinquiescence。
　　Asformydamnedliterature，Godknowswhatabusinessitis，grindingalongwithoutascrapofinspirationoranoteofstyle。Butithastobeground，andthemillgrindsexceedingslowlythoughnotparticularlysmall。Thelasttwochaptershavetakenmeconsiderablyoveramonth，andtheyarestillbeneathpity。ThisIcannotcontinue，timenotsufficing；andthenextwilljusthavetobeworse。AllthegoodIcanexpressisjustthis；someday，whenstylerevisitsme，theywillbeexcellentmattertorewrite。Ofcourse，myoldcureofachangeofworkwouldprobablyanswer，butIcannottakeitnow。Thetreadmillturns；and，withakindofdesperatecheerfulness，Imounttheidlestair。Ihaven’ttheleastanxietyaboutthebook；unlessI
　　die，Ishallfindthetimetomakeitgood；buttheLorddelivermefromthethoughtoftheLetters！However，theLordhasotherthingsonhand；andaboutsixto-morrow，I
　　shallresumetheconsiderationpractically，andfaceasbestImaythefactofmyincompetenceanddisaffectiontothetask。ToilIdonotspare；butfortunerefusesmesuccess。
　　Wecandomore，Whatever-his-name-was，wecandeserveit。
　　Butmymisdesertbeganlongsince，bytheacceptationofabargainquiteunsuitabletoallmymethods。
　　To-dayIhavehadaqueerexperience。Mycarterhasfromthefirstbeenusingmyhorsesforhisownends；whenIleftforSydney，Iputhimonhishonourtocease，andmybackwasscarceturnederehewasforfeit。Ihaveonlybeenwaitingtodischargehim；andto-dayanoccasionarose。IamsomuchTHEOLDMANVIRULENT，soreadilystumbleintoanger，thatI
　　gaveadealofconsiderationtomybearing，anddecidedatlasttoimitatethatofthelate。Whateverhemighthavetosay，thiseminentlyeffectivecontroversialistmaintainedafrozendemeanourandajeeringsmile。Thefrozendemeanourisbeyondmyreach；butIcouldtrythejeeringsmile；didso，perceiveditsefficacy，keptinconsequencemytemper，andgotridofmyfriend，myselfcomposedandsmilingstill，hewhiteandshakinglikeanaspen。Hecouldexplaineverything；Isaiditdidnotinterestme。Hesaidhehadenemies；Isaidnothingwasmorelikely。Hesaidhewascalumniated；withallmyheart，saidI，buttherearesomanyliars，thatIfinditsafertobelievethem。Hesaid，injusticetohimself，hemustexplain:GodforbidIshouldinterferewithyou，saidI，withthesamefactitiousgrin，butitcanchangenothing。SoIkeptmytemper，ridmyselfofanunfaithfulservant，foundamethodofconductingsimilarinterviewsinthefuture，andfellinmyownliking。
　　Onethingmore:Ilearnedafreshtoleranceforthedead-；
　　hetoohadlearned-perhapshadinvented-thetrickofthismanner；Godknowswhatweakness，whatinstabilityoffeeling，laybeneath。CEQUEC’ESTQUEDENOUS！poorhumannature；
　　thatatpastfortyImustadjustthishatefulmaskforthefirsttime，andrejoicetofinditeffective；thattheeffortofmaintaininganexternalsmileshouldconfuseandembitteraman’ssoul。
　　To-dayIhavenotweeded；Ihavewritteninsteadfromsixtilleleven，fromtwelvetilltwo；withtheinterruptionoftheinterviewaforesaid；adamnedletteriswrittenforthethirdtime；Idreadtoreadit，forIdarenotgiveitafourthchance-unlessitbeverybadindeed。NowIwriteyoufrommymosquitocurtain，tothesongofsawsandplanesandhammers，andwoodclumpingonthefloorabove；inadayofheavenlybrightness；abirdtwitteringnearby；myeye，throughtheopendoor，commandinggreenmeads，twoorthreeforesttreescastingtheirboughsagainstthesky，aforest-
　　cladmountain-sidebeyond，andcloseinbythedoor-jambanickofthebluePacific。ItisMarchinEngland，bleakMarch，andIlieherewiththegreatslidingdoorswideopeninanundershirtandp’jamatrousers，andmeltintheclosureofmosquitobars，andburntobeoutinthebreeze。Afewtornclouds-notwhite，thesunhastingedthemawarmpink-swiminheaven。Inwhichblessedandfairday，Ihavetomakefacesandspeakbitterwordstoaman-whohasdeceivedme，itistrue-butwhoispoor，andolderthanI，andakindofagentlemantoo。Onthewhole，Ipreferthemassacreofweeds。
　　SUNDAY。
　　WhenIhaddonetalkingtoyouyesterday，Iplayedonmypipetilltheconchsounded，thenwentovertotheoldhousefordinner，andhadscarcerisenfromtableereIwassubmergedwithvisitors。Thefirstofthesedespatched，IspenttherestoftheeveninggoingovertheSamoantranslationofmyBOTTLEIMPwithClaxtonthemissionary；thentobed，butbeingupset，Isuppose，bytheseinterruptions，andhavinggonealldaywithoutmyweeding，nottosleep。ForhoursI
　　layawakeandheardtherainfall，andsawfaint，far-awaylightningoverthesea，andwroteyoulongletterswhichI
　　scorntoreproduce。ThismorningPaulwasunusuallyearly；
　　thedawnhadscarcebegunwhenheappearedwiththetrayandlitmycandle；andIhadbreakfastedandreadwithindescribablesinkingsthewholeofyesterday’sworkbeforethesunhadrisen。ThenIsatandthought，andsatandbetterthought。Itwasnotgoodenough，norgood；itwasasslackasjournalism，butnotsoinspired；itwasexcellentstuffmisused，andthedefectsstoodgrossonitlikehumpsuponacamel。ButcouldI，inmypresentdisposition，domuchmorewithit？inmypresentpressurefortime，wereI
　　notbetteremployeddoinganotheroneaboutasill，thanmakingthissomethousandthfractionbetter？Yes，Ithought；
　　andtriedthenewone，andbehold，Icoulddonothing:myheadswims，wordsdonotcometome，norphrases，andI
　　accepteddefeat，packedupmytraps，andturnedtocommunicatethefailuretomyesteemedcorrespondent。I
　　thinkitpossibleIoverworkedyesterday。Well，we’llseeto-morrow-perhapstryagainlater。Itisindeedthehopeoftryinglaterthatkeepsmewritingtoyou。IfItaketomypipe，Iknowmyself-allisoverforthemorning。
　　Hurray，I’llcorrectproofs！
　　PAGO-PAGO，WEDNESDAY。
　　AfterIfinishedonSundayIpassedamiserableday；wentoutweeding，butcouldnotfindpeace。Idonotliketostealmydinner，unlessIhavegivenmyselfaholidayinacanonicalmanner；andweedingafterallisonlyfun，theamountofitsutilitysmall，andthethingcapableofbeingdonefasterandnearlyaswellbyahiredboy。IntheeveningSewallcameupAmericanconsulandproposedtotakemeonamalaga，whichIaccepted。MondayIrodedowntoApia，wasnearlyalldayfightingaboutdraftsandmoney；thesilverproblemdoesnottouchyou，butitisinastrangeandIhopepassingphase