16 NATURE NEAR LONDON. 



its own colour, and every blade of every variety has 

 its individual variations of that colour. The rain 

 falls, and there is a darker tint at large upon the 

 field, fresh but darker ; the sun shines and at first 

 the hue is lighter, but presently if the heat last a 

 brown comes. The wind blows, and immediately as 

 the waves of grass roll across the meadow a paler tint 

 follows it. 



A clouded sky dulls the herbage, a cloudless heaven 

 brightens it, so that the grass almost reflects the 

 firmament like water. At sunset the rosy rays bring 

 out every tint of red or purple. At noonday, watch as 

 alternate shadow and sunshine come one after the 

 other as the clouds are wafted over. By moonlight 

 perhaps the white ox-eyed daisies show the most. 

 But never will you find the mowing grass in the same 

 field looking twice alike. 



Come again the day after to-morrow only, and 

 there is a change ; some of the grass is riper, some 

 is thicker, with further blades which have pushed up, 

 some browner. Cold northern winds cause it to wear 

 a dry, withered aspect ; under warm showers it visibly 

 opens itself ; in a hurricane it tosses itself wildly to 

 and fro ; it laughs under the sunshine. 



There are thick bunches by the footpath, which 

 hang over and brush the feet. While approaching 

 there seems nothing there except grass, but in the 

 act of passing, and thus looking straight down into 

 them, there are blue eyes at the bottom gazing up. 

 These specks of blue sky hidden in the grass tempt 

 the hand to gather them, but then you cannot gather 

 the whole field. 



