Page:On the Hill-top (1919).pdf/26

 "Yes," she said. "When I put aside the habit and looked at it as a whole, I had it all at once, instead of in sections. I didn't have to come back from the distance and the great things at all, because I kept them in the picture while I looked at the near-by things; and that made it all into one beautiful whole."

"And you don't get any jolt when you do it that way?"

"No," said Marjorie, "I only see that it all fits in and belongs together. I wonder if I can get the habit of looking at all of the close-by things and people, as just a part of a wonderful picture that has big and splendid things in the background; and so keep everything at its real size, instead of letting the near-by things loom so high as to shut out the view of those that are really so much greater."

"Well," said the Dream, "you know what I mentioned as a companion to habit."

"Laziness," said Marjorie.

"Now," said the Dream, "if you were to go and lie down beside that stone wall and look toward it, how much of the sea and the sky and the tree branches would you see?"

"Not a glimpse," said Marjorie.

"Wouldn't have much picture, would you?"

"Well, then just remember to keep things in their real, actual, proper proportion to the whole picture. Everything has its place, but don't be lazy and go and lie down beside it and let it cut off all the rest of the view.