32 DOWN THE BECK 



feast of colour. The keeper's cottage stands on a 

 high bank ; and a more charming domestic subject 

 was never painted, even by Millais, than one 

 which may be noticed there any day in August. 

 His little girl, bare-headed and rosy-cheeked with 

 the merriest of light-blue eyes, stands under a forest 

 of sun-flowers, which spread their huge yellow discs 

 above, while sunbeams break through and leave 

 their gold on the little maiden's hair, and play 

 round her, earnest, we will hope, of her future, as 

 she drops a courtesy to the passing angler. A little 

 farther on, the briony, with its brilliant berries, will 

 festoon the grey trunk of its cherishing oak with a 

 glory, in autumn, that cannot but charm the eye. 

 The wild hyacinths of April are like a fold of blue 

 sky that has descended upon the wooded hollows. 

 In the thatch of the labourer's cottage is one 

 deeply-set window, with a few tiles under it, on 

 which lichens and moss have established a footing. 

 It has just rained, and the contrast between their 

 vivid greens and the brilliant red tiles is delicious. 

 It is thus that much of the monotony inseparable 

 from a dull country may be relieved, by judiciously 

 educating the vision to find beauties where ordinary 

 eyes see nothing unusual. The pensiveness of an 

 angler's " sad pleasure " will be found agreeable 

 leisure for this purpose. 



