第9部分(第3/7 頁)

g　with　its　cones　of　silvery　fur；　and　splendid　with　dust　of　gold。　These　mon　things　touch　me　with　more　of　admiration　and　of　wonder　each　time　I　behold　them。　They　are　once　more　gone。　As　I　turn　to　summer；　a　misgiving　mingles　with　my　joy。

SUMMER

I

To…day；　as　I　was　reading　in　the　garden；　a　waft　of　summer　perfume……　some　hidden　link　of　association　in　what　I　read……I　know　not　what　it　may　have　been……took　me　back　to　schoolboy　holidays；　I　recovered　with　strange　intensity　that　lightsome　mood　of　long　release　from　tasks；　of　going　away　to　the　seaside；　which　is　one　of　childhood's　blessings。　I　was　in　the　train；　no　rushing　express；　such　as　bears　you　great　distances；　the　sober　train　which　goes　to　no　place　of　importance；　which　lets　you　see　the　white　steam　of　the　engine　float　and　fall　upon　a　meadow　ere　you　pass。　Thanks　to　a　good　and　wise　father；　we　youngsters　saw　nothing　of　seaside　places　where　crowds　assemble；　I　am　speaking；　too；　of　a　time　more　than　forty　years　ago；　when　it　was　still　possible　to　find　on　the　coasts　of　northern　England；　east　or　west；　spots　known　only　to　those　who　loved　the　shore　for　its　beauty　and　its　solitude。　At　every　station　the　train　stopped；　little　stations；　decked　with　beds　of　flowers；　smelling　warm　in　the　sunshine　where　country…folk　got　in　with　baskets；　and　talked　in　an　unfamiliar　dialect；　an　English　which　to　us　sounded　almost　like　a　foreign　tongue。　Then　the　first　glimpse　of　the　sea；　the　excitement　of　noting　whether　tide　was　high　or　low……stretches　of　sand　and　weedy　pools；　or　halcyon　wavelets　frothing　at　their　furthest　reach；　under　the　sea…　banks　starred　with　convolvulus。　Of　a　sudden；　OUR　station！

Ah；　that　taste　of　the　brine　on　a　child's　lips！　Nowadays；　I　can　take　holiday　when　I　will；　and　go　whithersoever　it　pleases　me；　but　that　salt　kiss　of　th