84 IN THE GREEN LEAF 



the daytime, although many think that night is 

 the only time when his voice is heard. You 

 will hear him as much at one time as another, 

 by day or by night ; you can watch him singing, 

 too ; for secluded the bird may be, but no one 

 can say that he is exactly shy. 



His song is over for a time, and he has 

 dropped down to feed. Just out of curiosity 

 you look over the hedge at his haunt. A tiny 

 rill from the meadows runs through that small 

 copse, which is carpeted with blue-bells ; and, 

 yes, there is a cottage and garden, half hidden 

 by the trees that shelter it. 



Some main roads, although still kept in good 

 order, are not much frequented. At one time the 

 roads from London to Dover, Portsmouth, and 

 Brighton, for instance, were travelled over day 

 and night by coaches and her Majesty's mails ; 

 you can go now for miles and miles without 

 seeing more than your own shadow in front or 

 by the side of you in fact, the lonely way gets 

 wearisome. Steam has altered matters in all 

 directions for. the better. Some of those roads 

 through Sussex are as long, the natives say, 

 as a "wet week," whatever that length may be. 

 They certainly do run in front of you without 

 a turn for a long, long way, and Sussex miles 



