112 Across the CJiainid. 



And nirircliin^- tlirou^ii the i^reen, smiling- country with new 

 life I)n(l(lin,!4' e\-erv\vhei"e, one's tlion^lits Hew to those other 

 yoini,^' h'\es, planted in the i^ronnd with myriad crosses to 

 mark tlie spot where some .i^allant lad lies in his last loni^' slee]). 

 ha\in^' made the ,L;'reat sacrifice for Kin^;' and coimtrv. 



Lie green itf^on tlieir grai'es. haf^f^y shri)ig. 

 /■(>!■ iliey 7cere eager, young, and fitll of life.'' 



I don't know the author of those words but, to me. tliey are 

 very l)eautiful. 



I>tit, to the birds a,^"ain. The harsh cry of the jav 

 minyled with the clear melody of the thrush as we marched. 

 The soml)re-hued blackbird, and the chaflfinch with cheerful soni.;" 

 proclaimed " (iod's in His lleaxen. all's rii^ht with the world." 

 I found the nest of a chaffinch, in a low tree, with eg'i^'s in it. TJie 

 small, elei^ant structure, matched the colottr of the bark. Our 

 next halt was in a \'illa,ii"e. a .Ljeiu set in the midst of excpiisite 

 woodland. My billet was in a little thatched cottai^e, 

 quite En,t^iish-lookin,t^'. My room opened on to the most de- 

 liiniitful ,^"arden ima.^inable. It stood, secluded, in a sort of 

 holy calm, a haven of rest and peace amid birds and flowers. 

 A bi,^' apple tree flottrished and its blossom ran riot over the 

 branches. At the far end was a tiny copse where a 

 Xi.^htin.^ale lived and san,u" his lone souths. T have heard many 

 Ni,!^htin.iL;ales otit here, but in the little cottai^e where 1 sat 

 in the evening" the trills of tlie little l)rown bird, seemed more 

 gloriously melodiotis than ever before. During' the day a 

 ctickoo was insistently repeating' his name. lie was ne\'er 

 visible to me. btit sometimes (piite near and then farther. .And, 

 as if to com])lete the choir of .Xatnre. a wood pigeon was cooinj.^' 

 to his mate, in harmony with all. f en\ied the possession of this 

 Eden-like i^arden. which was owned and tended by the t^ood 

 old h'rench woman who li\ed in the cottage and went about her 

 daily duties so ([uietly and contentedly. By and by. when the 

 sun had sunk, and the shadows L;rew, when the bird voices were 

 silent and Nature slept, then the moon rose like a si.^nal for the 

 tawnv owl to be.q'in his nis^i^htly serenade of " hoo-hoo-ini^." 



" //'(• f:noa' not alzcay i^'lio are tlie fnngs of flie day 

 But tlie king of tlie night is tlie bold brozvii oicl." 



