78 MY DEVON YEAR 



foliage from the past. Water glittered everywhere, 

 like a network of nerves in the wood's deep breast 

 glittered and tumbled and vanished to twinkle 

 out again a step lower on the way down to the river. 

 Arrived there, the streamlets fell over mossy ledges 

 and took small live things down to the trout, that 

 understood and waited patiently for their meat in 

 the pools below. 



The river, now echoing her farewell to the hills, 

 makes a comely passage through this scene of Spring, 

 where, like newly fallen snow, the wind-flowers spread 

 about her. They cover her banks until one can 

 scarcely see the green, cluster to the water's edge, 

 and reappear on every little island where foothold 

 serves them. 



Anon, in the valley, Oke meets Oke and, sobered 

 from their riotous and joyous childhood, through the 

 plains and forests they flow together. Then it happens 

 to them as it happened to many a lesser stream that 

 they have gathered upon their way : they lose their 

 hypostasis and, gliding into Torridge nigh Hather- 

 leigh, roll onward, lost in a greater river, to the Severn 

 Sea. 



" Beneath Hatherleigh," says old Tristram Risdon, 

 "the Touridge maketh way for the meeting of his 

 beloved Ock, whence they run together in one channel 

 and one name." 



