238 THE LAND'S END 



that which he had made and would unmake was 

 without significance to him. 



If there be nothing but this mechanical world, and 

 if the pure materialist even in spite of his materialism 

 should invent for himself or imagine a god, it would 

 be such a one as I beheld on that windy night. 



So passed the miserable darkling hours, " as I lay 

 a-thynkinge," and saw no hope until I slept, and when 

 I woke and the grey morning was come, the wind had 

 fallen and the cold was not so intense. 



The frost continued that day and the next, and 

 although very cold with occasional storms of sleet 

 and snow, it was getting milder all the time. The 

 change was so gradual one could hardly feel it, but it 

 had a great effect on the birds ; they were recovering 

 very rapidly, and on the morning of the 2yth, when 

 the ground had once more grown soft except in shady 

 places, my birds did not turn up at feeding-time in 

 the morning : they were back in the fields getting 

 their natural food, which no doubt tasted best after 

 their long abstinence. It was a pleasure to go out 

 again to see the thrush standing up stiff and alert on 

 the green turf in the old way, and the speckled star- 

 lings scattered about and once more busily prodding 

 the turf. The daws rose up with the old insolent ring 

 in their clamouring voices, and the wren was himself 

 again, briskly hopping out of his hiding-place in the 

 stones for a moment or two just to fling that sharp 

 little note of indignation at you for disturbing him 

 " Go away mind your own business ! " 



The mortality had undoubtedly been very great, 



