We have to realize that the child’s world is without economic purpose. A child doesn’t understand – happy ignorance – that people are paid to do things. To a child the policeman rules the street for self-important majesty; the furnace man stokes the furnace because he loves the noise of falling coal and the fun of getting dirty; the grocer is held to his counter by the lure of aromatic spices and the joy of giving. And in this very ignorance there is a grain of truth. The child’s economic world may be the one that we are reaching out in vain to find. Here is a path in the wood of economics that some day might be followed to new discovery. Meantime, the children know it well and gather beside it their flowers of beautiful illusion.
Source:Â On the Front Line of Life by Stephen Leacock; in John Robson's Words Worth Noting
Posted: 2025 Nov 15
Lovely!
Mary – Many thanks.
Wonderful lighting, Isabel. Something to do with the low angle of the sun, I expect.
Jim T
Jim T – Thank you. And yes, I expect so. It’s that warm autumnal sun. 🙂
The top picture is especially striking. In some ways, it looks like little bird or butterfly wings on a branch.
Tom
Tom – Many thanks.
Autumn sunlight is so nice!! You captured it well.
The leaves sure look familiar, but I can’t put a name to it, so “mystery shrub” it is.
(iNaturalist.org suggests Meadowsweet as one of many possibles)
Jim – Many thanks. As for the mystery, this is what comes of having someone else do the heavy gardening work. I used to select, buy, and plant everything that went into my yard. Now someone just makes it happen.
And they do a nice job of it!
Jim R – Thanks – we think so, too. But mostly it’s just not having to do the heavy lifting . . .
An optimistic note from Julian of Norwich’s lady anchorite is just what one needs as the last rose of summer drops its petals and the 14-day forecast looks like a ski jump.
Laurna – 🙂 I don’t know much more about her than that saying – maybe that’s enough.
She’s a fascinating study from the standpoint of physical illness that precipitates spiritual powers or insights. Her prophetic dreams and visions started when she was terribly ill. Upon recovery, she became an anchorite (anchoress). That is to say, had herself walled into a small room with a window built into the side of the church dedicated to Julian of Norwich. She is given the name of the Saint to whom the church was dedicated. Her actual name is not known. She ministered to people through the window of her cell and was sought after for her prayers and good advice. Her writing about her visions is the first extant writing in English by a woman and by an anchoress. She is regarded as a theologian, as well. A play written about her was performed near that location in England and also in the US, as I recall.
Laurna – I have to consciously suppress a claustrophobic auto-reaction on reading that story. I am glad such a lifestyle has not been demanded of me.