All in a garden fair; the simple story of three boys ... - University Library

ALL IN A GARDEN FAIR. 57
crust of bread ; and there are things, yea,
tritons and evvets, and wrigirling things, in the
])Ools, and jack may be cauiilit in tlie river
Eoding ; tliere are butterflies and niotlis to be
chased ; tliere are flowers in the spring, and
blackberries in the autumn. Besides the
creatures and the trees and flowers there is
scenery ; here and there hill-sides clothed Avith
wood ; slopes on ^vhich, as you stand upon
them and look among the trees, the sun pro-
duces strange and Avonderful effects ; stretches
of elastic turf; places where the forest seems
to recede and still to recede as you walk
along, great trees, avenues of oaks, gather-
ings of beeches, with ash and elm and syca-
more ;
everywhere the underwood of hawthorn,
honeysuckle, and wild rose ; everywhere the
freshness and fragrance of the wild wood
always light and colour even in January, when
the delicate purple bloom lies upon the masses
of bush and shrub and the late leaves linger on
tlie sheltered branches, and always silence and
rest from the talk of man. In such a forest
;