IN THE FOREST OF ARDEN. l ^ I 



but at last I grew into a familiarity with my neigh 

 bors which was all the sweeter to me because it 

 registered a change in myself long hoped for, often 

 despaired of, at last accomplished. To be at one 

 with Nature was a joy which made life seem rich 

 beyond all earlier thought ; but when to this there 

 was added the fellowship of spirits as true and 

 great as Nature herself, the wine of life overflowed 

 the exquisite cup into which an invisible hand 

 poured it. The days passed like a dream as we 

 strayed together through the woodland paths ; 

 sometimes in some deep and shadowy glen silence 

 laid her finger on our lips, and in a common mood 

 we found ourselves drawn together without speech. 

 Often at night, when the magic of the moon has 

 woven all manner of enchantments about us, we 

 have lingered hour after hour under that supreme 

 spell which is felt only when soul speaks with soul. 



x. 

 .... there s no clock in the forest. 



THERE were a great many days in Arden when 

 we did absolutely nothing ; we awoke without 

 plans ; we fell asleep without memories. This was 

 especially true of the earlier part of our stay in the 

 Forest ; the stage of intense enjoyment of new 

 found freedom and repose. There was a kind of 

 rapture in the possession of our days that was new 



