Music of the Wild 



oi'ing. Pearl white and pearl fine are the lustrous 

 blooms of the arro\\-]iea(l. White pond lilies lift 

 faces of snow to the morning and resemble star 

 reflections at night, while the j'^ellow are the purest 

 gold of nature's alchemy. Water hyacinths and 

 blue flags flash back the azure of the sky above 

 them, and clumps of foxfire blaze like flaming 

 torches. 



On the tops of the highest mountains can be 

 found evidence that they once were submerged, 

 and so I imagine that as the water receded, in the 

 l)eginning, the M'hole earth was one great marsh. 

 ^^^heu the waters evaporated or were pushed back 

 by eruptions, the highest places were left bare, the 

 next highest grew forests, the lower remain marsh, 

 and the lowest lakes and seas. 



The road to the marsh is not so difficult to find 



as tJiat to the forest. ]Men learn that it is easier 



The ti) fell and burn trees than to control water in 



Road to j^^p^j-^ and nuantitv. The marsh road probably 



the Marsh ' -in " i ■ i • ■, \ 



Will be either deep sand or corduroy laid m a bed 

 of muck; a mere j^atli to the object of your goal, 

 Init on either side of it lies the garden of the Lord. 

 Acres u])on acres of the most l)rilliant color wav- 

 ing above man-height, interlaced by delicate vines 

 and watered with fountains s])ringing naturally 

 from tlie ^\'et liosom of earth and flowing away in 

 tiny streams so narrow they are soon lost l)eneath 

 the flowers closing over them, and so cold they 



328 



