30 
BIRDS IN A VILLAGE. 
gladness in nature, and feeling of kinship with all 
the children of life. 
But I do not wish to disturb any one in his 
prepossessions. It would greatly trouble me to 
think that my reader should, for the space of a 
page, or even of a single line, find himself in oppo- 
sition to and not with me ; and I am free to admit 
that with regard to poetry one's preferences change 
according to the mood one happens to be in and 
to the conditions generally. At home in murky 
London on most days I should probably seek 
pleasure and forgetfulness in Browning ; but in 
such surroundings as I have been describing the 
lighter hearted, elf-like Melendez accords best with 
my spirit, one whose finest songs are without human 
interest ; who is irresponsible as the wind, and as 
unstained with earthly care as the limpid running 
water he delights in ; who is brother to bird and 
bee and butterfly, and worships only liberty and 
sunshine, and is in love with nothing but a flower. 
Nearly midway between the useful little bridge 
and the rose-blossoming tangle I have spoken of 
there were three elm trees growing in the open 
space near the brook ; they were not lofty, but had 
very wide-spreading horizontal branches, which 
made them look like oaks. This was an ideal spot 
in which to spend the sultry hours. I had no 
