journeying, but I too am journeying, and to the sea, only my 

 sea is shoreless and remote, and toward it I make haste, 

 though oftener I fear with tears than 

 with laughter. Yours is the better way, 

 laughing onward toward the sea " I 

 crossed a group of shrubs unknown 

 to me, whose leaves were of such 

 redness as to stand like a dull flame 

 in the midst of the gay greenery of 

 the grasses that hedged them in. 

 And the slough grasses are always 

 beautiful to my eyes. I never yet 

 have tired of them, and here they 

 grew in eager luxuriance, and in some 

 parts were of such brilliant green as if 

 they had barely wakened from 

 a refreshing winter sleep, and 

 with all freshness on them, like a 

 newly awakened child, locked at you 

 in sweet surprise. The grasses, grown 

 taller, had a sedateness and sense of dig- 

 nity such as I have sometimes seen in 

 women. Stately they were and drooping 

 all bowed as soldiers who had stood 

 guard all night and were sleeping in the 

 day. The wind came and caressed 

 them, but they woke not or barely 

 nodded as if saying, " Let me sleep, 

 let me " and the sleepy voice fell 

 asleep. They were secret-keeping like 

 marsh grasses by the sea. I love this 

 waving green when winds drowse or 

 flurry by, and the grass, somnolent yet 

 fluent, answered in a dream to this 

 fond caress, and I feared the winds might 

 disturb their rest; and the slumber was on 

 them when the wind was gone. The 

 crowning glory of the walk was the blue flags 



135 



BLUE FLAGS 



