20 THE BEAUTIES OF NATURE chap. 



glooms, and out of their black arches shall 

 come tripping children, like white fairies, to 

 laugh and talk with the girl who lies dream- 

 ing and reading in the hammock there, beneath 

 the black velvet canopy of the great cedar 

 tree, like some fair tropic flower hanging from 

 its boughs ; and we will sit down, and eat 

 and drink among the burdock leaves, and 

 then watch the quiet house, and la-wn, and 

 flowers, and fair human creatures, and shining 

 water, all sleeping breathless in the glorious 

 light beneath the glorious blue, till we doze 

 off, lulled by the murmur of a thousand in- 

 sects, and the rich minstrelsy of nightingale 

 and blackcap, thrush and dove. 



" Peaceful, graceful, complete English coun- 

 try life and country houses ; everywhere fin- 

 ish and polish ; Nature perfected by the wealth 

 and art of peaceful centuries ! Why should 

 I exchange you, even for the sight of all the 

 Alps ? " 



Though Jefferies was unfortunately never 

 able to travel, few men have loved Nature 

 more devotedly, and speaking of his own 

 home he expresses his opinion that : " Of all 



