A BETTER. EDEN 241 



Gehenna by every living thing, plant or animal. Pheas 

 ants, even the fir-loving pigeons, hate the sharpness of 

 its knobs and the closeness of its obstinate shade. If any 

 winged beast appears there it is Apollyon. 



How different the grassfield, even the deserted grass- 

 field ! How snug the &quot; forms &quot; of hare and rabbit ! 

 They are like the nests of a redshank, a bird that deserves 

 some of the repute won by the Australian bower bird, 

 for it pulls the grasses into a canopy over its eggs with 

 at least as great skill and artistic precision as the bower 

 bird contrives its corridor or arch. The rabbits nuzzle 

 down so warmly and securely in their curtained beds, 

 that you may stand and watch them from a yard or two, 

 more peacefully than any photographer from his ela 

 borate &quot; hide/ Even the pheasants make a sort of form 

 in such places and rise reluctantly from the pheasant 

 covert, for they are groundlings by nature ; though we 

 have taught them to prefer the woods, such golden fields 

 as these are restoring the old instinct. 



On the crown of a Western slope flourishes an orchard 

 heavy with fruit beyond any record. You may scarcely see 

 the grass under some of the trees for the carpet of wind 

 falls ; and though tons of fruit lie on the ground in heaps 

 or in layers and other tons have been carried away in 

 sacks, the trees were still burdened when I saw them with 

 a greater weight of fruit than they could safely support. 

 Some large boughs and many small boughs had been torn 

 off in spite, perhaps occasionally because of their support 

 ing props. Particular trees looked like Indian teepees or 

 wigwams by reason of the circle of poles set up to assist 

 the laden boughs. The apples were of all sorts, Normans 



Q T.V.E. 



