128 THE FRIENDSHIP OF NATURE 



up the water creeps as you advance. 

 Swim ! the cold and resistance seem to 

 lessen as you cleave the liquid moon- 

 light. It is a different world, yourself 

 and Nature, yourself and space, with 

 self a pigmy in it. A white-sailed 

 boat dives through the silver and breaks 

 the enchantment; how cold the water 

 grows again in spite of the languor of 

 the summer night ! 



The sea-breeze rolls the mist over 

 the meadows, until it envelops both 

 plain and village in soft folds of tulle; 

 the church steeple emerges above it, 

 and the distant hills are islands, with 

 strange cloud-shapes hanging above 

 them. What flocks and herds graze in 

 the pastures of the sky, now following 

 the moon and then flying from it ! The 

 black-edged wind-clouds are South- 

 down sheep disturbed by a shadow, 

 and then a herd of brown buffaloes 



