Page:On the Way There (1904).djvu/29

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breath. "Why don't everybody come up here? There is room for all."

The woman shook her head, sadly. "They do not believe me when I tell them that the road is here," she said.

"But if they would come and look, they could see for themselves," said Marjorie.

"Yes," said the woman, "But they are too busy, plodding along in the mud, and dancing on the islands, and fighting with the dwarfs. They don't want to take the trouble to look."

As the three walked along the road, they could see, through the thin top of the hedge, much that was going on in the swamp; and again and again the loving woman stopped to call to some one who had fallen into one of the pools of Ill Health or Sorrow, or was being tormented by the dwarfs. Sometimes those called to, would pay no attention at all, or would argue that there was no road there, and would even laugh, jeeringly. Others would listen, and ask questions, but would make no effort; but some would follow the directions of the sweet, earnest voice, see through the Errors, and come creeping through the hedge to the high-road.

Once a crowd of children, who chanced to