8 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



developed insects. But in the early even for an ordinary walk young 



stages of their career they have owed ladies used to take some time to " get 



so much to rain and moisture, that in ready." The little heroine of that de- 



later life they have to take things as lightful novel Northanger Abbey, could 



they come. The larvae of all insects not walk by the Avon at Bath with 



are themselves moist, and need mois- Henry Tilney and his sister because 



ture to give them bodily comfort it came on to rain ; and it is pathetic 



and the vegetable matter on which to contemplate her grief as she watched 



they feed. Caterpillars must have their the first drops on the window panes, 



food-plant, which cannot grow without " Oh dear, I do believe it will be 



moisture ; so that when we see the wet," broke from her in a most des- 



Mayflies crushed by a thunder shower, pairing tone. In these days healthy 



or miss the butterflies on a wet day, English men, women, boys and girls, 



we have to reflect that they would do not mind ram. Last spring, landing 



be neither Mayflies nor butterflies if it on the coast of Asia Minor, a hundred 



had not been for the kindly rain. As and fifty of us, old and young, were 



to spiders, I am half inclined to guess wetted through by a thunderstorm 



that they are abnormal and dislike in ten minutes ; we pushed on, and 



rain from infancy upwards ; but this no one seemed to mind. Here, in 



I must leave to the specialist. the sweet gentle rain of the Atlantic, 



So it would seem that man, and we ought to be quite content. And 



almost all if not quite all the creatures we need be in no hurry to get home 



that live around him, are the better quickly, if we would see the earth 



for rain and ought to enjoy it. Long and all its creatures rejoicing under 



ago we used to be afraid of it, and the genial influence of the moisture. 



