NATURE NEAR LONDON 



soak, and lie several layers thick. Their edges 

 overlap, red, brown, and pale yellow, with the 

 clear water above and shadows athwart it, and dry 

 white grass at the verge. A horse-chestnut drops 

 its fruit in the dusty road ; high above its leaves 

 are tinted with scarlet. 



It was at the tail of one of the arches of the 

 bridge over the brook that my favourite trout used 

 to lie. Sometimes the shadow of the beech came 

 as far as his haunts, that was early in the morning, 

 and for the rest of the day the bridge itself cast a 

 shadow. The other parapet faces the south, and 

 looking down from it the bottom of the brook is 

 generally visible, because the light is so strong. 

 At the bottom a green plant may be seen waving 

 to and fro in summer as the current sways it. 

 It is not a weed or flag, but a plant with pale green 

 leaves, and looks as if it had come there by some 

 chance ; this is the water-parsnip. 



By the shore on this, the sunny side of the 

 bridge, a few forget-me-nots grow in their season, 

 water crow's-foot flowers, flags lie along the sur- 

 face and slowly swing from side to side like a 

 boat at anchor. The breeze brings a ripple, and 

 the sunlight sparkles on it ; the light reflected 

 dances up the piers of the bridge. Those that 

 pass along the road are naturally drawn to this 

 bright parapet where the brook winds brimming 



