BLUE COLUMBINE AND CHEQUERED DAFFODIL 113 



sure in wild flowers is to gather them ever seen, and were like huge rudely- 

 greedily to see them die indoors. For shaped pillars with brushwood and 

 we live indoors and reck not that ivy for capitals, some still upright, 

 nature is deflowered, so that we return others leaning over the water, and 

 with hands or arms full of some new many of them quite hollow with great 

 brightness to add to the decorations gaps where the rind had perished. I 

 of our interiors. saw no chequered daffodils, but it was 

 Coming one May-day to a small a beautiful scene, a green, peaceful 

 rustic village, I passed the schoolhouse place, with but one blot on it a dull, 

 just when the children were trooping dark brown patch where the ground 

 back in the afternoon, and noticed that had been recently ploughed in the 

 many of them were carrying bunches middle of the largest and fairest mea- 

 of fritillaries. They told me where they dow in sight. A sudden storm of rain 

 had got them, in a meadow by the drove me to seek shelter at one of the 

 neighbouring river ; then one little old crumbling pollards, where, by cram- 

 girl stepped forward and asked me ming myself into the hollow trunk, I 

 very prettily to accept her bunch. I managed to keep dry. In half an 

 took it, and gave her two or three hour it was over and the sky blue 

 pence, whereupon the other children, again ; then coming out, that brown 

 disregarding the imperious calls of piece of ground in the distance looked 

 their schoolmistress, who was standing darker than ever amidst the wet sun- 

 outside, all flocked round and eagerly lit verdure, and I marvelled at the 

 pressed their nosegays on me. But I folly of ploughing up a green meadow 

 had as many as I wanted ; my desire in spring ; for what better or more 

 was to see the flower growing, so I profitable crop than grass could be 

 went my way and returned another grown in such a spot ? Presently, as 

 day to look for the favoured spot. I I walked on and got nearer, the un- 

 found it a mile from the village, at a sightly brown changed to dark purple ; 

 place where the lovely little river then I discovered that it was no 

 divides into three or four, with long ploughed ground before me, but a vast 

 strips of greenest meadow-land be- patch of flowers of fritillaries growing 

 tween the currents, with ancient pol- so close that they darkened the earth 

 lard willows growing on the banks, over an area of about three acres ! 

 These were the biggest pollards I have It was a marvellous sight, and a plea- 



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