Saturday, January 28, 2012

The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck


Poverty sat cross-legged on the farm, and the Maltbys were ragged.

In a tall wild pear tree a congress of bluejays squawked a cacphonous argument.

"How run-down and slovenly," she thought. "How utterly lovely and slipshod."

Among the branches of the trees a tiny white fragment of mist appeared and delicately floated along just over the treetops. In a moment another translucent shred joined it, and another and another. They sailed along like a half-materialized ghost, growing larger and larger until suddenly they struck a column of warm air and rose into the sky to become little clouds.

1 comment:

Mavis said...

"a congress of bluejays squawked a cacophonous argument." is a little past the middle of the story. It is chapter VI, in which Miss Morgan is walking to the Maltby's farm. I never knew that a group of bluejays was called a congress.