4 The Autocrat of the Eddy. 



by love, and he is always back at the 

 boulder by the middle of October. 



Just a word about his children's nursery : 



Down where the sunshine is stirred in the water 

 By zephyrs that bend the thin tops of the sedge, 



The stream shallows out at the head of the meadow, 

 And dammed by a log, widens more at the edge. 



The nettles are rank on the rich bank about it, 

 And out on the log straggle tussocks of grass ; 



Beneath the warm driftwood the cricket is chirping, 

 And green-headed frogs tune their throats for 

 the class. 



The little trout practise at vaulting and leaping, 

 And stir up the sand in their still, shallow pool ; 



From daylight to darkness, and all through the 



moonlight, 

 They try every trick that is taught in their school. 



They strain at a gnat and then swallow a lady-bug ; 



Deep into air they all dive for a fly ; 

 But larger they 're growing, not learning the lesson 



That careless ones jumping at feathers may die. 



And some of them reaching the age of discretion, 

 Will solemnly hunt for a deep shady hole ; 



And like their old father as cruel as Nero 

 Will live as they please, without conscience or 

 soul. 



