138 TREES IN NATURE, MYTH & ART 



on the spring-time : '' Nature has no arrange- 

 ment, no plan, nothing judicious even ; the 

 walnut-trees bring forth their tender buds, and 

 the frost burns them — they have no mosaic of 

 time to fit in, like a Roman tessellated pave- 

 ment ; nature is like a child, who will sing and 

 shout though you may be never so deeply 

 pondering in the study, and does not wait for 

 the hour that suits your mind. You do not 

 know what you may find each day ; perhaps 

 you may only pick a fallen feather, but it is 

 beautiful, every filament. Always beautiful! 

 everything beautiful ! " Yes, we agree, every- 

 thing, each thing beautiful ; but not always, 

 the whole scene, even nearly beautiful, as we 

 look at it. One might say that, in the spring, 

 nature's colour-orchestra is preparing to play. 

 Some of the performers have taken their places 

 and are tuning their instruments, others are 

 just seating themselves; others again, have 

 not yet come in. 



The willows are among the first trees to get 

 into leaf. The horse-chestnut is a rather later 

 comer. "If you are under its shadow," says 

 Hamerton, *' you walk in a soft green light 

 that comes through the broad-spreading leaflets. 



