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The Shanty

ETHEL WILSMAN

MOST PEOPLEsee in the shanty a small, grayish-brown cottage,
half-hidden by trees on one side, and partially surrounded by
water on the other. It seems to cry out in vain for a coat of paint, and
a few nails here and there to sustain it. A sooty black chimney juts
up defiantly from the weather-worn roof, further disfiguring it. Cl?se
by, the waves rhythmically lap up on the shore as though reachmg
for the porch. This is what one sees when he looks at the shanty for
the first time.

But I see much more when I look at it. The shanty, to me and
those who know it, is a sanctuary. It is a refuge from a world in
which too many people tend to take life for granted. One cannot
stay here for long without feeling appreciation and respect for Nature.

There is already so much true beauty in the shanty, that man's
feeble attempts at adornment look cheap. Its natural beauty takes
many forms. At times it is the cool breeze that envelops the dwelling.
Even on the most torrid days of summer, when the cities are like blast
ovens, the shanty brings relief. At other times this beauty is the still-
ness of the night, interrupted only by the lullaby of the waves on the
shore, and the chorus of frogs on the creek nearby. Sometimes it is
the fresh fragrance that clings to the shanty: that fragrance which
one can normally smell only after it has rained.

The inside of the shanty is characterized by a wholesome, friendly
atmosphere. The clean knotty pine walls lend to this effect. But the
most striking sight in the place is the view from the large living room
window. This vista of the creek is like a painting that changes with
the coming and going of each season.

The very nearness of this cottage to the water and the trees repre-
sents a nearness to Nature. Its simplicity and crudeness mock the
artificial world around it. Superficiality is soon shed here, and deep
thought takes its place. One soon becomes aware of a feeling that
everything here, and in Nature, has been placed there for a purpose:
every tree, each grain of sand, rain, the sky, the creek-everything.
Every aspect of Nature helps carry out the purpose and complete the
complex pattern. Although the purpose may not be fully understood,
its beauty is obvious.

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