Some little children now came into the garden, and threw bread-crumbs and corn into the water; and the youngest cried: "There is a new one!" The other children were delighted, too, and repeated: "Yes, there is a new one just come." And they clapped their hands, and capered about, and then flew to their father and mother, and more bread and cake was flung into the water; and all said: "The new one is the prettiest. So young and so lovely!" And the elder swans bowed before him. He then felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wings. He did not himself know what to do. He was more than happy, yet none the prouder; for a good heart is never proud. He remembered how he had been pursued, and made game of; and now he had heard everybody say he was the most beautiful of all beautiful birds. Even the elder-bush bent its boughs down to him in the water, and the sun appeared so warm, and so mild! He then flapped his wings, and raised his slender neck, as he cried, in the fulness of his heart: "I never dreamed of such happiness while I was an ugly duckling." [Illustration] Get but the truth once uttered, and 'tis like A star new-born, that drops into its place, And which, once circling, in its placid round, Not all the tumult of the earth can shake. LOWELL: "A GLANCE BEHIND THE CURTAIN." [Illustration] [Illustration] THE CLEARIN'. [Illustration] Then why do I sell it? you ask me again, "Big cabin an' clearin, an' all?" Well, stranger, I'll tell you, though may be you'll think It ain't any reason at all. There's plenty of hardship in pioneer life, A hard workin' stint at the best; But I'd stick to it yet, if it wasn't for this, A heart like a log in my breast. D'ye see, over there by the cotton-wood tree, A climbin' rose, close by a mound, Inside of a fence made of rough cedar boughs?-- Prairie wolves ain't too good to come round-- Well, Hetty, my darling old woman, lies there; Not very old either, you see; She wa'n't more'n twenty the year we come West; She'd a been--comin' grass--thirty-three. What a round little face an' a cheek like a peach She had, little Hetty, be sure! What courage to take me--she knew all the while I was friendless and terrible poor! How she worked with a will at our first little hut, In the field and among garden stuff, Till her forehead was burned, and her poor little hand, Through its hardships, got rugged and rough. But many a time, when I come in the door Quite sudden, I've found her just there, With eyelids all red, an' her face to the east --You see, all her own folks was there. I cheered her, an' told her we'd go by and by, When the clearin' and plowin' was through; And then came the baby--he wa'n't very strong, So that Hetty had plenty to do.