14 NATURE NEAR LONDON 



blows, and immediately as the waves of grass roll across 

 the meadow a paler tint follows it. 



A clouded sky dulls the herbage, a cloudless heaven 

 brightens it, so that the grass almost reflects the firma- 

 ment like water. At sunset the rosy rays bring out every 

 tint of red or purple. At noonday, watch as alternate 

 shadow and sunshine come one after the other as the 

 clouds are wafted over. By moonlight perhaps the white 

 ox-eyed daisies show the most. But never will you find 

 the mowing grass in the same field looking twice alike. 



Come again the day after to-morrow only, and there 

 is a change ; some of the grass is riper, some is thicker 

 with further blades which have pushed up, some browner 

 Cold northern winds cause it to wear a dry, withered 

 aspect; under warm showers it visibly opens itself; in a 

 hurricane it tosses itself wildly to and fro; it laughs 

 under the sunshine. 



There are thick bunches by the footpath, which hang 

 over and brush the feet. While approaching there seems 

 nothing there except grass, but in the act of passing, and 

 thus looking straight down into them, there are blue eyes 

 at the bottom gazing up. These specks of blue sky hidden 

 in the grass tempt the hand to gather them, but then 

 you cannot gather the whole field. 



Behind the bunches where the grass is thinner are the 

 heads of purple clover ; pluck one of these, and while 

 meditating draw forth petal after petal and imbibe the 

 honey with the lips till nothing remains but the green 

 framework, like stolen jewellery from which the gems 

 have been taken. Torn pink ragged robins through 

 whose petals a comb seems to have been remorselessly 

 dragged, blue scabious, red knapweeds, yellow rattles, 

 yellow vetchings by the hedge, white flowering parsley, 

 white campions, yellow tormentil, golden buttercups, 



