At the Water's Edge 



feeling to creep over me that I must get awa)' 

 from the hideous place at once. The thought of 

 remaining there over night grew strangely intol- 

 erable. To see in my dreams, as I certainly 

 should have done, those empty, ghastly, malev- 

 olent human habitations staring down upon me 

 all night out of their unblinking, clammy win- 

 dow-eyes would have given me forty night- 

 mares. 



I now bent all my energies to find a boat- 

 man to take me back ; and when I suc- 

 ceeded, and he assured me I could get across in 

 time for the last train, I felt unbounded relief. 

 Supposing that he knew where the railroad sta- 

 tion was, I loitered along, after reaching the 

 main land, enjoying a rich and sudden change of 

 scene. The sun, just setting amid heavy and 

 brilliant clouds, shone over an immense and lux- 

 uriant meadow, with numerous blackbirds hov- 

 ering over it, and uttering their whistling cry, 

 swallows darting about, and an intoxicated bob- 

 olink madly singing in his wild career ; while 

 in the distance the picturesque roofs of houses 

 loomed among the foliage, and gave to the scene 

 . the repose of evening for a background. It came 

 after the day's fatigue like the snatch of a pleas- 

 ant dream. At least a gilded edge, I thought, 

 187 



