I 5 6 



THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



The eggs had all been taken except one, and the 

 robin hatched that one, and the pair of old birds 

 were very assiduous in their attentions to their 

 only child. One day we found the nest gone, and 

 shortly afterwards, passing that way, we saw one of 

 the old birds lying in the hole left by the removal 

 of the nest, dead. The body was quite warm, and 

 "^S^r ^ bore no marks of violence ; and the Gipsy said it 

 had died of a broken heart, on the place where its 

 home had been and, i' faith, she may not have 

 been far wrong. 



The heat increased, and as the heat increased so 

 did the flies, so that rambling about the lanes and 

 through the woods became almost unbearable. Yet 

 it was wrong to grumble, for the hay was ripening 

 fast, and was nearly ready to cut ; and the corn 

 grew straight and high and strong in the ear, so 

 that the fields were as level as the sea in a calm, 

 and had as many lights and shadows, and opaline 

 changes of colour, and soft flushes of sunset. The 

 horizon narrowed and lay suffused in a blue shade ; 

 the hills melted into indistinct outlines ; the colours 

 of the landscape grew richer and deeper ; the hol- 

 lows of the dark woods were lined with foxgloves ; 

 and the fresh green of June was gone for a twelve- 

 month longer. 



Then men waded knee-deep in the grass, and cut 

 long lanes for the reaping-machines to get to work. 

 The cheery clatter of the machines, and the swish 

 of the falling hay, sounded over all the country- 



