BITS OF OAK BARK. 33 



slips. This mead was full of them, so much so that 

 a little way in front the surface seemed yellow. They 

 had all short stalks ; this is always the case where 

 these flowers grow very thickly, and the bells were 

 a pale and somewhat lemon colour. The great cow- 

 slips with deep yellow and marked spots grow by 

 themselves in bunches in corners or on the banks of 

 brooks. Here a man might have mown acres of cow- 

 slips, pale but sweet. Out of their cups the bees 

 hummed as she walked amongst them, a closed, book 

 in her hand, dreaming. She generally returned with 

 Luke's spaniel beside her, for whether his master came 

 or not the knowing dog rarely missed his visit, aware 

 that there was always something good for him. 



One morning she went dreaming on like this 

 through the cowslips, past the old beech and the gate, 

 and along by the nut-tree hedge. It was very sunny 

 and warm, and the birds sang with all their might, 

 for there had been a shower at dawn, which always 

 sets their hearts a-tune. At least eight or nine of 

 them were singing at once, thrush and blackbird, 

 cuckoo (afar off), dove, and greenfinch, nightingale, 

 robin and loud wren, and larks in the sky. But, 

 unlike all other music, though each had a diflferent 

 voice and the notes crossed and interfered with each 

 other, yet they did not jangle but produced the 

 sweetest sounds. The more of them that sang to- 

 gether, the sweeter the music. It is true they all had 

 one thought of love at heart, and that perhaps brought 

 about the concord. She did not expect to see Luke 

 that morning, knowing that he had to get some felled 

 trees removed from a field, the farmer wishing them 



