SWAN SONG 191 



and its orange tones deepen to crimson in splashes 

 and faint washes on each dainty leaf. Against the 

 auburn of the oaks, blue fir trees lift their crowns, 

 and in the heart of the woods, now visible amid the 

 thinning foliage of deciduous trees, stand out sombrely 

 the great dark pines ; twinkle the hollies, reflecting 

 light in each leaf ; and shine the rich ivies that clothe 

 banks and bottoms, mantle the combes and old ruins 

 in lonely places, leap to the trees, festoon their top- 

 most limbs, and fall in wreaths and ribbons from 

 them. Where a glade breaks the forest one may see 

 vistas of gold fading to distances that are at this 

 season a deep blue against the autumn colours. 

 The woods glow to their hearts, and the stand- 

 ard of death streaming out over the whole earth 

 gathers up light within its folds and shines under 

 early sunsets. Now, in a clouded moment, where 

 all is grey and robins sing in the rain, these colours 

 lose their inner wealth, fade somewhat, and grow 

 pale and bloodless, as though the storms were soaking 

 their splendour out of them. But then some shaft of 

 light suddenly searches the forests, and they answer 

 with dazzling flash and glow, and utter their swan 

 song of colour before the fall of the leaf. 



Everywhere Nature now trims her brightest lamps 

 in leaf and berry. The thorn and the briar shine with 

 red and scarlet fruit ; the blackberry's beauty is in her 

 leaves of yellow and crimson ; the dogwood's foliage 

 makes contrast of a dull wine-colour against all the 

 light and sparkle of its neighbours ; the pearl of the 



