Monday, September 30, 2013

A gift of guffaws

John Muir concluded his lyrical essay "A Wind-Storm in the Forest" with a vision of benevolent nature preaching a message:

The storm-tones died away, and, turning toward the east, I beheld the countless hosts of the forests hushed and tranquil, towering above one another on the slopes of the hills like a devout audience. The setting sun filled them with amber light, and seemed to say, while they listened, "My peace I give unto you."

This comforting contemplative tone, however, takes a beating in a student draft that transcribes the quote thus: "My peach I give unto you."

But I'll take it! I've been sitting in my office reading and responding to drafts all afternoon, so I'll welcome any excuse for a good old-fashioned guffaw!  

2 comments:

jo(e) said...

Well, maybe if they'd been fruit trees instead of sequoias ....

Contingent Cassandra said...

Auto correct strikes again, I suspect (well, that and lack of familiarity with the Bible -- which, leaving aside questions of faith, is a decided handicap in reading many pieces of literature written before c. 1960, and a good many written since).