Such is a short view of the system on a
well-managed corn and wool farm.

If able to lay out the needful capital
skilfully, and manage the men, boys, and horses
needed for a thousand acres of average corn
and sheep land, the farmer, on an average of
years, can reap a fair return for his risk and
labour. He cannot under ordinary
circumstances, expect to make a fortune except by
saving out of ordinary income; for there
are no patents, or secrets, or special
undiscovered markets for farmers, as there are
for clever manufacturers. Those who undertake
to do wonderful things in agriculture
invariably sacrifice profit to glory. But the
skilful farmer is not tied to a day, a week, or
even a month, except at harvest or seed time;
he lives among pleasant scenes, socially and
hospitably, and runs not the risks and
endures not the sleepless nights of the
manufacturer, whose fortune depends on the
temper of a thousand hands, and the honesty
or good fortune of debtors on the other side
of the globe.

FATALISM.

ONE of the popular tales current among
the Servians—which we take from a collection
made by Wuk Stephanovitsch Karadschitsch
—emphatically illustrates a well-known oriental
doctrine, and suggests how stern a curse
such doctrine becomes to the people among
whom it is once admitted.

Once upon a time there were two brothers
who lived together. One was industrious
and did everything, the other was lazy and
did nothing except eat and drink. Their
harvests were always magnificent, and they
had plenty of oxen, horses, sheep, pigs, bees,
and all else. The brother who did everything
said to himself one day, "Why should
I work for this idler? It is better that we
should part." He said, therefore, "My
brother, it is not just that I should do everything,
whilst thou doest nothing but eat and
drink. I have decided, therefore, that we
ought to part." The other sought to turn
him from his purpose, saying, "Brother, let
not that be so; we prosper as we are,
and behold all things are in thy hands, as
well those which belong to me, and those
which are thine. Thou knowest also that
whatever thou wilt thou doest, and I am
content." But the elder persisted in his
resolution, and the younger yielded, saying,
"If it must be so, yet I will have no
part in this act. Make the division as thou
wilt." The division was then made, and
each brother took what was his portion.

Then the idler hired a herdsman for his
cattle, and a shepherd for his sheep, another
herdsman for his goats, a keeper for his
swine, and yet another for his bees; and
said to them all, "I entrust my property to
you, and may God keep you." Having done
that, he continued to live as before.

The worker, on the contrary, continued to
exert himself as he had always done. He
kept no servants, but himself attended to
his own affairs. Nevertheless all went
wrong with him, and he became poorer
every day, until at last he did not possess
even a pair of shoes, and was obliged
to walk about barefooted. Then he said to
himself, "I will go to my brother and see
how it is now with him."

His way was over land covered with grass.
He saw a flock of sheep feeding there
unattended by a shepherd. Near them sate a
beautiful girl, who was sewing with a golden
thread. After having saluted her, he asked to
whom the flock belonged; and she answered,
"To whom I belong, these sheep also belong."

"And who art thou?" he inquired.

She replied, "I am the Genius of thy
brother."

Then was this man's soul filled with rage
and envy, and he said to her, "But my
Genius, where is she?"

The girl said, "Ah! she is far from thee."

"Can I find her?" he asked.

She answered, "Yes; after long travel."

And when he heard this, he went straightway
to his brother; who, when he saw his
wretched state, was filled with grief, and,
bursting into tears, said to him, "Where
hast thou been so long?" And when he had
heard all, and knew that his brother wished
to go in search of his far-distant Genius,
he gave him money and a pair of shoes.

After the two brothers had remained some
days together, the elder one returned to his
own house, threw a sack upon his shoulders,
into which he put some bread, took a stick in
his hand, and set out to walk through the
world to seek his Genius. Having travelled
for some time, he found himself at last
in the midst of a great wood, where he
saw, asleep under a bush, a frightful hag.
He strove long to awaken her, and at last in
order to do so put a snake down her back;
but even then she moved with difficulty, and
only half unclosing her eyes, said to him,
"Thank Heaven, man, that I am sleeping
here; for had I been awake thou wouldst not
have possessed those shoes."

He said, "Who then is this that would
have prevented me from having on my feet
these shoes?"

And the hag replied, "I am thy Genius."

When the man heard that, he smote
himself upon the breast, and cried, "Thou!
Thou my Genius? May Heaven exterminate
thee! Who gave thee to me?"

And the hag replied, "It is Fate."

"And where is Fate?" he asked.

The answer he received was, "Go and
search for him." And the hag disappeared.

Then the man went in search of Fate. After
a long, long journey, he again entered a wood;
and, in this wood, found a hermit, whom he
asked whether he could tell where Fate was
to be found. The hermit said, "Go up that