FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER 45 



at least, akin to the gentle Elia; "I require 

 woods," says he, "and they show me stunted 

 coppices. I cry out for the waterbrooks, and 

 pant for fresh streams and inland murmurs. I 

 cannot stand all day on the naked beach, watch- 

 ing the capricious hues of the sea, shifting like 

 the colour of a dying mullet." 



So we started off to find the country. First 

 we came upon a large common, gorgeous with 

 the purple heather in full bloom; there we had 

 fine games. We were three boys and three girls. 

 We raced about the common and pelted each 

 other with sticking burrs, very nice things for 

 the girls' flowing back hair. We then wandered 

 off and found ourselves on the high road to 

 Christchurch. We raced on the road, plucked 

 flowers, rested on gates and stiles, till by-and-by 

 we unexpectedly came upon the banks of the 

 beautiful Stour. There we took a lovely little 

 skiff, just large enough to hold us, and we 

 floated down the slowly-flowing deep stream, 

 in and out among the tall reeds, under the 

 trees overhanging the river for miles; the girls 

 were "as happy as happy could be," and the 

 boys noisy and frolicsome. By-and-by, away off 

 down the river we espied a punt, and in that 

 punt gravely sat the Major and his two baby 

 boys, each with a fishing rod in his hand. 



We came upon them quite unexpectedly, and 

 they did not seem to want us we were too 



