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has lost its sharpness, his breath its sting. 

 Through bare grass -land the wind blows 

 keen. These sere ranks, battered and broken 

 though they be, hold him smartly at bay 

 cut and shiver his legions to a long, low, 

 shrilling sigh. 



Blow high or low, these good creatures 

 take no thought of him. See them run 

 hither and yon, through the length, the 

 breadth, of it all, snatching here a green 

 mouthful, pulling down there a russet stalk, 

 capering, lowing, tossing the head aside, 

 madly joyous, full to overflowing with a 

 dainty lust of possession. 



Bell-cow Sook tries vainly to enforce her 

 right of precedence. All summer for how 

 many summers ? she has swung her tink- 

 ling sceptre at front in all pastures. She 

 has led the rest marching meekly behind. 

 Here, in this late green largess, they low 

 her quite to scorn. 



Mistress Blossom even as by right of her 

 Holstein blood, her staring, black -patched 

 white coat swings her long tail imperti- 

 nently in the bell-cow's face, and meets the 

 avenging rush of her insulted monarch with 

 a strenuous uplifting of heels. Ah me ! 

 Times do change and manners with them. 

 Mistress Blossom has quite forgot that three 



