122 THE FRIENDSHIP OF NATURE 



sketches in black and white! she is 

 the universal artist. In winter she 

 etches on a plate of snow, biting 

 deeply the branch shadows, retouching 

 with twig dry-point all the bones of 

 things, Nature's anatomy. In spring, 

 she broadens her work to a soft mezzo- 

 tint, and then on to india-ink washes 

 and sepia groundings. First, the out- 

 lined catkin, then leaf forms; next, 

 simply draped branches, and then to 

 complete, though rapid, compositions. 

 The May-fly then hums every night 

 among the wood-fragrant flowers of 

 the lindens, the grass has grown high, 

 the wind-flower hangs its closed petals, 

 and the scouring-rush, strung with 

 dewdrops, equals the diamond aigrette 

 of an empress. The moon-pictures 

 deepen and expand as the shadows 

 grow more dense, until they become 

 intelligible, impressionistic, and truth- 

 telling. 



