The Chrissenmas to Mayday 
the time of day in soft Devon at the door. Within, a 
veritable Boanerges of an Irish priest preaching with a 
fervour which should surely land him some day in a 
bishop’s carved throne. 
I cannot forget that little wayside house of prayer among 
the budding orchards. . . . 
EASTERTIDE ON THE BORDER 
Down by the water the kingcups are blowing, 
On every brae see the primroses glowing, 
Soft little pussies on slender saughs showing 
In the brown furrows the sower is sowing, 
Over the rigs soar the Laverocks sweet singing, 
Like a black cloud see the nesting crows winging 
To and fro ever their sticks homeward bringing, 
Soft in the silence the kirkbells ring, ringing. 
Of all sweet flowers the air is sweet smelling, 
Springtime is coming, the lambs are all telling, 
No longer frostbound the burnies are swelling, 
All their brown coats see the chestnut-buds shelling 
Now is Earth’s Easter, she is now awaking 
From her long sleep, she is turning and taking 
Unto herself the bright sunrays that, breaking, 
Lie on her breast all quivering and shaking. 
I left my little Border garden to itself till April 1 7 ; 
when I returned the young lambs were gambolling in the 
fields and the wild roses snd sweetbriars were in leaf. 
Primroses, both pink and white and yellow, are now in 
great profusion, and the hyacinths in the Rose Garden in a 
few days will be a dream of beauty. But there was wild 
weather and grim days during my absence, snow and frost. 
I saw a nest — the first nest of the year to me — a robin’s, hid 
among wood-sorrel leaves — “Hearts” as they call them some- 
times here — in a wayside bank in Northumberland, where I 
was staying, at a charming place where the art of man has 
coaxed the shy Himalayan primrose to bloom in most 
artistic and apparently unstudied patches on woodland 
banks by a lovely brawling brown beck, and where the 
profusion of many-coloured primroses and daffodils, large 
and small, is renowned. But I loved the Himalayan 
primrose best of all with its purple balls of blossom like 
105 
