VIII 

 A SWALLOW-WOOING 



AFTER hours of study in the woods, I passed 

 the long twilight on the piazza, where I had 

 a feast of daisies. Of these flowers I never 

 tired. In a light breeze they looked all alive, 

 as if nodding and laughing together like a 

 party of jolly children. When the wind died 

 away, all were perfectly still, then a ripple 

 would start one side, go on to the neighbors, 

 who began to stir, and in ten seconds the 

 whole field would be laughing and nodding 

 in glee, always reminding me of Wordsworth's 

 daffodils, 



" Ten thousand saw I at a glance, 

 Tossing their heads in sprightly dance." 



Later, when daisies had dropped their 

 white draperies and stood silent, with dull 

 yellow heads, in the place which late they 

 had glorified, wild roses took their place 

 and beautified the ground, while concealed 

 among the tall grass grew the most wonder- 



