'Through Persia on a side-saddle' [‎43] (74/360)

AS FAR AS KASHAN
43
the mind to view everything from a new standpoint.
Civilisation appears to fall away here, and man is brought
back to the simple facts of humanity, and has an uneasy
sense that up to now his life has been sadly unreal and
artificial. He feels that a broader, truer glimpse of exist
ence is being vouchsafed to him, and as he mingles with
a people whose standpoint of morals and manners is an
entirely different one to his, he learns not to judge from
appearances, and the precept of' live and let live' becomes
deeply engraved on his soul.
And through it all, with each fresh experience, the sense
of a glad freedom is interwoven. The traveller knows that
joy in living, a joy which our civilisation has done its best
to improve away. Pessimism is unknown here, morbid
thoughts cannot exist, and life is better, because so much
happier. Perhaps, however, I have not really hit upon
what constitutes the glamour of the East. My love of it
may be partly owing to the novelty of my experiences,
partly to a longing for travel and adventure never satisfied
hitherto, and, it is possible, chiefly to the fact that I had
never been so well in all my life before.
******
Between Koom and Kashan there was very little traffic,
several narrow paths running parallel to one another form
ing our road. The only sign of vegetation on the stony
wastes was a withered thorny plant, the inadequate fire
wood of these districts ; but, notwithstanding the apparent
lack of food, numbers of crested larks and small lizards
were to be seen. There were but few snakes, though my
brother killed them occasionally with his whip as they
wriggled across our path.