At the Back of the North Wind

by George MacDonald

A poet is a man who is glad of something, and tries to make other people glad of it too."

"What a queer place it must be!" "It's a very good place." "Do you want to go back again?" "No; I don't think I have left it; I feel it here, somewhere." "Did the people there look pleased?" "Yes—quite pleased, only a little sad." "Then they didn't look glad?" "They looked as if they were waiting to be gladder some day."

But to try to make others comfortable is the only way to get right comfortable ourselves, and that comes partly of not being able to think so much about ourselves when we are helping other people.

There are not many people who can think about beautiful things and do common work at the same time.

"Do you really believe, Diamond, that there's a house in the moon, with a beautiful lady and a crooked

old man and dusters in it?" "If there isn't, there's something better," he answered, and vanished in the leaves over our heads.