AUTUMN RAIN 159 



series of years. The famous 'Jubilee' summer of 1887 

 introduced a cycle of dry years ; and even the rainfall of 

 1903 was not enough to keep most of the winterbournes 

 running for more than one winter. For the last few years, 

 in spite of some extremely hot and dry summers, we have 

 experienced a cycle of wet years again ; even the summer of 

 1911 did not prevent the whole year being one of almost 

 precisely the average rainfall. The winterbournes have 

 accordingly begun to run more frequently; and they have 

 considerably surprised and inconvenienced people in some 

 parts of England who had forgotten them, or thought they 

 would never return, and had built or laid out gardens in 

 their beds. Long though nature may seem to sleep, she 

 resumes her old rights in the end ; and the reappearance of 

 her periodic streams must be looked for with the same 

 certainty in our gentle climate as the repetition of earth- 

 quakes or volcanic eruptions in lands where she rules less 

 temperately. 



