212 A GARDEN OF PLEASURE 



all glowing yet, and bright with the 

 shining of the heavenly light that we had 

 seen, his cheek still wet with happy tears. 



Low in the valley where in spring we 

 found the subtle-scented primroses, and 

 where snow-drops make soft moonlight 

 under the trees in early days of March, 

 there, in an open space at last we saw the 

 Christmas Tree. 



Alone under the starry sky the Tree 

 burnt with a great glow of golden fruits 

 amid the living fire of myriads of pre- 

 cious stones, all glorious from the lowest 

 to the topmost branch, making in that 

 shady place so great a splendour that 

 we could see the little birds with their 

 heads turned under their wing-feathers, 

 sleeping in the winter trees. The light 

 awoke them not, but round the trees soft 

 wild furry creatures, with merry, jet-black 

 eyes, peeped here and there. And here 

 and there crept from underneath some 

 stone or withered leaf, the slow toad, with 

 a glittering jewel in her head. In and out 

 amongst the shining lights played little 

 flashes of emerald green. 



