. Beauty for ashes. y camedown all around so that one was always conscious ofit, that I felt a Presence about me, so real and closethat I sometimes reached up my hand to It. In spring the orchards were a cloud of pink, andthe fields were star-sown with anemones andspring beauties. Later they were covered with blu-ets. The shady country lanes trailed with wildroses, and the woods were sweet with fern. In win-ter there was as much reason for rapture, when thefields were untracked slopes of dazzling white, whenthe fences were piled with marvellous drifts, and frostpictures covered the window pane
. Beauty for ashes. y camedown all around so that one was always conscious ofit, that I felt a Presence about me, so real and closethat I sometimes reached up my hand to It. In spring the orchards were a cloud of pink, andthe fields were star-sown with anemones andspring beauties. Later they were covered with blu-ets. The shady country lanes trailed with wildroses, and the woods were sweet with fern. In win-ter there was as much reason for rapture, when thefields were untracked slopes of dazzling white, whenthe fences were piled with marvellous drifts, and frostpictures covered the window panes. ^^ Oh, how the sight of things that are great en-larges the eye. Standing on the hill-tops, one couldlook miles away, across the valley, where farm housesdotted wide fields and orchards; away to the wood-lands, away to the far rim of blue hills. Throughall these years I have kept that vision of those wind-swept, sun-crowned hiUs, and the feeling of thosegreat free spaces. It is this that makes our citieschoke u c3 2 o I I 5:1 THE SHELTERED LIFE 5 In such surroundings was my childhood wandered in a maze of delight, alone in the fields,or with my sister Annie and six or more boy and girlcousins, who led in every kind of adventure. Betterthan adventure I loved the making of tiny housesunder the apple trees. They were built of bark andstone, with mossy roofs and antique chimneys. Lyingflat on the grass, I could peer in through the cun-ning windows^ and enjoy the enchanted square ofsunlight on the little floor. I had never heard oftown planning, but took delight in arranging quaintvillages with patient grouping and, in the odd waychildren have, inhabited them all myself. The time came when I had to go through the biggate at the end of the cherry lane and follow theother children along the highway to school. Butwonderland was not left behind. The new environ-ment was full of mystery. The very customs of theschool were as strange as heathen rites. Arithmeticwas as occ
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