The Argosy — page 139: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

124 IN THE NEW FOREST. By CuarLes W. Woop, AvuTHor oF ‘'RounpD ABouT Norway.” aS S° you are in the New Forest,” wrote a Norwegian friend to me. ‘‘T know it well. Itis an SS “==. ih | old acquaintance of mine, a eo Sai and reminds me much of Sa IMR St = NNT te 2 36 LY OWN country. <I ee | And no doubt, for this en (—— —— == SS SS Hy ff, = 17h ¢ ~Y oy) : NX a SST 0 -:- = FAY SNES \ ~ Ns NSS = =F, ‘fp SON aN See : € = — f WAN \ » —=—=_ an j if ¢ - Yay Pe \ ZN \\ yy ~ Ny fhe My | . iv ap } YY ote Mt 7 + {il j if 2 | 3 i hie i) f) J iy i i ; z af ee ge, nis he - ; ( A | , a | iff eee knows the New Forest, but > gaa a ea p(t {i 4) soloves it also. Who does Sa A Zea we not love anything—a song, a name, a scent, a flower —that reminds us of our Fatherland, when from that land we have been absent long years? How we cling to the smallest trifle that brings back to us the scenes of youth, when the whole world was full of a careless joy born partly of irresponsibility. How even the things and people then disliked and shunned become, through the sad pleasures of memory and the lapse of time, almost loved and reverenced ! Nevertheless—to return to my friend’s letter—as far as my ex- perience of Norway extends, you will have to travel long in that pleasant land before meeting with anything so beautiful and luxuriant as the trees and the glorious foliage of the New Forest. Yet, in reply- ing, I spared him the observation. When prejudice kindly represents to us things as they are not, why disturb her sway? If the eyes are made happy by seeing with a somewhat distorted vision, why, with wanton cruelty, hold up the glasses that dissolve an innocent though it may be fictitious enjoyment? Many of our pleasures and delights in this world arise from little self-delusions that are harmless as they are merciful: just as many of our troubles, self-created, are born of the Imagination and have no other existence. If we are made happier by dwelling in a fool’s paradise, let us have it by all means. Yea, SS RINGWOOD, = (CONNIE OO KS (EC) m