202 THROUGH LIBRARY WINDOWS 



of every individual star, for stars differ in light 

 and in music. 



What singular contrasts between the morn- 

 ing and the evening. The light is brighter in 

 the morning than at eventide, more diffusive , 

 and suffusive; it seems to come from every- 

 whither, while at nightfall it concenters in the 

 west, and the east is dark and shadowful. The 

 morning light is penetrative and seems to cre- 

 ate no shadows. Corot loved the morning 

 light, he painted at dawn and ever in keenest 

 glee laughed and whistled and sang ; talked with 

 trees and birds and flowers and sunlight as if 

 they were people. For him nature overflowed 

 with delight and he absorbed it and turned 

 it into his world-famous pictures. 



How different the morning and evening ef- 

 fects on body and spirit. In the morning I am 

 at my best, for in the night I bury my yester- 

 day's fatigue. In the morning I take hold of 

 my duties vigorously; in the evening I relax 

 with pleasure. In the morning, conditions fa- 

 vorable combine and urge the possible pros- 

 pect; in the evening there is the keen conscious- 

 ness of not having fulfilled the promise and 

 prophecy of the morning. The brain is clear 

 in the morning, and thinking is easy and strong; 

 in the evening the brain is weary and diversion 



