66 MY DEVON YEAR 



new green from the grey ; and mosses brightened 

 the masonry ; while from the river, sunlight, reflected 

 sharply, made gleaming tremor upon the bridge, like 

 the shimmering dance of hot air. 



The unutterable freshness and sweetness of the 

 dawn touches man's spirit as surely and as obviously 

 as it heartens the awakened bird and beast. These 

 all welcome the warm ray upon their fur or feathers, 

 for it beats through hide and down, through the 

 plumage of the river-fowl, through the flax of the 

 coney ; and it gets to the hearts of the wild things, 

 so that they lift up their voices and fly to meet 

 the great sun, or kick their heels into the air 

 and leap for joy that another day has come, with good 

 store of food and water and congenial companions to 

 share happiness. 



The martins bathe and drink and wheel in airy 

 circles and sudden loops; the water -spiders leap 

 along their element ; the flies dance in the proper 

 patterns woven for them by Nature, and from 

 which they depart not ; trout begin to rise, and 

 around them the sun flings golden circles into the 

 water, that widen till they meet the ruffle of the wind. 

 The air is crystal, even as the water is, and upon my 

 sense awakens perception of that vital difference in 

 the painting of dawn and sunset. Young dawn, 

 dancing rosy-footed over the world, is glorious as 

 youthful genius whose work glows with every virtue, 

 and, above all, that of promise ; yet sunrise colours 

 lack the ineffable gentleness and pathos of those at 



