months, these beautiful children of Mother 

 Earth seemed almost afraid to break the 

 stillness from which they had come, and 

 strayed about noiselessly, with subdued and 

 lovely mien, exhaling a perfume as delicate 

 as themselves. Then, with a rush and 

 shout, the summer flowers suddenly burst 

 upon the scene, overflowing with life and 

 merriment; in lawless troops they ran 

 hither and thither, flinging echoes of their 

 laughter over the whole country-side, and 

 soon overshadowing entirely their older 

 and more sensitive fellows; these, indeed, 

 soon vanish altogether, as if lonely and 

 out of place under the broad glare and 

 high colours of midsummer. And now 

 for weeks together the game went on 

 without pause or break ; the revelry grew 

 fast and furious, until one suspected that 

 some night the Bacchic throng had passed 

 that way and left their mood of wild and 

 lawless frolic behind. 



At last a softer aspect spread itself over 

 the glowing sky and earth. The nights 

 grew vocal with the invisible chorus of 



45 





