THE CHARM OF GARDENS 



a distant sound as of a giant murmuring, a dark blot 

 of rain cloud on the distant hills, and the ceaseless 

 patter of dripping trees. The sun shone out and showed 

 the village and landscape all fresh and shining. Then, 

 as I looked, against the dark bank of distant clouds, 

 a rainbow arched in glorious colours, one step of the 

 arch on the hills tailing into mist, and one in the corn 

 field below. The sight of the rainbow with its wonder- 

 ful beauty, and its great message of hope thrilled me, 

 as it always does. I do not care what the scientist 

 tells me of its formation : he has not added one atom 

 to my feeling, with all his knowledge. It remains for 

 me the sign of God's compact with man. 



" And God said, This is the token of the covenant which 

 I make between me and you, and every living creature that 

 is with you, for perpetual generations. 



" I set my bow in a cloud, and it shall be for a token of a 

 covenant between me and the earth. 



" And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the 

 earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud. 



" And I will remember my covenant which is between 

 me and you, and every living creature of all flesh ; and the 

 waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 



" And the bow shall be in the cloud ; and I will look upon 

 it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between 

 God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the 

 earth." 



I learnt to love that when I was a child, and being 

 still, in many ways, the same child, I look upon a rain- 

 bow and think of God remembering his covenant : and 

 it makes me very happy. 



Now as the storm was over, and I had no further 

 excuse for stopping in my shelter, I took my knapsack 

 again on to my shoulder and walked down, across two 

 fields of grass, round the high hedges'* of two orchards, 

 and came out into the road in the valley, about two 



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