20 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE CHAP. 
glooms, and out of their black arches shall 
come tripping children, like white fairies, to 
laugh and talk with the girl who lies dream- 
ing and reading in the hammock there, beneath 
the black velvet canopy of the great cedar 
tree, like some fair tropic flower hanging from 
its boughs; and we will sit down, and eat 
and drink among the burdock leaves, and 
then watch the quiet house, and lawn, and 
flowers, and fair human creatures, and shining 
water, all sleeping breathless in the glorious 
light beneath the glorious blue, till we doze 
off, lulled by the murmur of a thousand in- 
sects, and the rich minstrelsy of nightingale 
and blackcap, thrush and dove. 
“ Peaceful, graceful, complete English coun- 
try life and country houses; everywhere fin-' 
ish and polish ; Nature perfected by the wealth 
and art of peaceful centuries! Why should 
I exchange you, even for the sight of all the 
Alps ?”’ | 
Though Jefferies was unfortunately never 
able to travel, few men have loved Nature 
more devotedly, and speaking of his own 
home he expresses his opinion that: “Of all 
