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thought himself well paid by the use of the instrument between。 And
Robert made great progress。
Occasionally he saw Miss St。 John in the garden； and once or twice
met her in the town； but her desire to find in him a pupil had been
greatly quenched by her unfortunate conjecture as to the cause of
his accident。 She had； however； gone so far as to mention the
subject to her aunt； who assured her that old Mrs。 Falconer would as
soon consent to his being taught gambling as music。 The idea；
therefore； passed away； and beyond a kind word or two when she met
him； there was no further communication between them。 But Robert
would often dream of waking from a swoon； and finding his head lying
on her lap； and her lovely face bending over him full of kindness
and concern。
By the way； Robert cared nothing for poetry。 Virgil was too
troublesome to be enjoyed； and in English he had met with nothing
but the dried leaves and gum…flowers of the last century。 Miss
Letty once lent him The Lady of the Lake； but before he had read the
first canto through； his grandmother laid her hands upon it； and；
without saying a word； dropped it behind a loose skirting…board in
the pantry； where the mice soon made it a ruin sad to behold。 For
Miss Letty； having heard from the woful Robert of its strange
disappearance； and guessing its cause； applied to Mrs。 Falconer for
the volume； who forthwith； the tongs aiding； extracted it from its
hole； and； without shade of embarrassment； held it up like a drowned
kitten before the eyes of Miss Letty； intending thereby； no doubt；
to impress her with the fate of all seducing spirits that should
attempt an entrance into her kingdom： Miss Letty only burst into
merry laughter over its fate。 So the lode of poetry failed for the
present from Robert's life。 Nor did it matter much； for had he not
his violin？
I have； I think； already indicated that his grandfather had been a
linen manufacturer。 Although that trade had ceased； his family had
still retained the bleachery belonging to it； commonly called the
bleachfield； devoting it now to the service of those large calico
manufactures which had ruined the trade in linen； and to the
whitening of such yarn as the country housewives still spun at home；
and the webs they got woven of it in private looms。 To Robert and
Shargar it was a wondrous pleasure when the pile of linen which the
week had accumulated at the office under the ga'le…room； was on
Saturday heaped high upon the base of a broad…wheeled cart； to get
up on it and be carried to the said bleachfield； which lay along the
bank of the river。 Soft laid and high…borne； gazing into the blue
sky； they traversed the streets in a holiday triumph； and although；
once arrived； the manager did not fail to get some labour out of
them； yet the store of amusement was endless。 The great wheel；
which drove the whole machinery； the plash…mill； or； more properly；
wauk…milla word Robert derived from the resemblance of the mallets
to two huge feet； and of their motion to walkingwith the water
plashing and squirting from the blows of their heels； the beatles
thundering in arpeggio upon the huge cylinder round which the white
cloth was woundeach was haunted in its turn and season。 The
pleasure of the water itself was inexhaustible。 Here sweeping in a
mass along the race； there divided into branches and hurrying
through the walls of the various houses； here sliding through a
wooden channel across the floor to fall into the river in a
half…concealed cataract； there bubbling up through the bottom of a
huge wooden cave or vat； there resting placid in another； here
gurgling along a spout； there flowing in a narrow canal through the
green expanse of the well…mown bleaehfield； or lifted from it in
narrow curved wooden scoops； like fairy canoes with long handles；
and flung in showers over the outspread yarnthe water was an
endless delight。
It is strange how some individual broidery or figure upon Nature's
garment will delight a boy long before he has ever looked Nature in
the face； or begun to love herself。 But Robert was soon to become
dimly conscious of a life within these thingsa life not the less
real that its operations on his mind had been long unrecognized。
On the grassy bank of the gently…flowing river； at the other edge of
whose level the little canal squabbled along； and on the grassy brae
which rose immediately from the canal； were stretched； close beside
each other； with scarce a stripe of green betwixt； the long white
webs of linen； fastened down to the soft mossy ground with wooden
pegs； whose tops were twisted into their edges。 Strangely would
they billow in the wind sometimes； like sea…waves； frozen and
enchanted flat； seeking to rise and wallow in the wind with
conscious depth and whelming mass。 But generally they lay supine；
saturated with light and its cleansing power。 Falconer's jubilation
in the white and green of a little boat； as we lay； one bright
morning； on the banks of the Thames between Richmond and Twickenham；
led to such a description of the bleachfield that I can write about
it as if I had known it myself。
One Saturday afternoon in the end of July； when the westering sun
was hotter than at midday； he went down to the lower end of the
field； where the river was confined by a dam； and plunged from the
bank into deep water。 After a swim of half…an…hour； he ascended the
higher part of the field； and lay down upon a broad web to bask in
the sun。 In his ears was the hush rather than rush of the water
over the dam； the occasional murmur of a belt of trees that skirted
the border of the field； and the dull continuous sound of the
beatles at their work below； like a persistent growl of thunder on
the horizon。
Had Robert possessed a copy of Robinson Crusoe； or had his
grandmother not cast The Lady of the Lake； mistaking it for an idol；
if not to the moles and the bats； yet to the mice and the
black…beetles； he might have been lying reading it； blind and deaf
to the face and the voice of Nature； and years might have passed
before a response awoke in his heart。 It is good that children of
faculty； as distinguished from capacity； should not have too many
books to read； or too much of early lessoning。 The increase of
examinations in our country will increase its capacity and diminish
its faculty。 We shall have more compilers and reducers and fewer
thinkers； more modifiers and completers； and fewer inventors。
He lay gazing up into the depth of the sky； rendered deeper and
bluer by the masses of white cloud that hung almost motionless below
it； until he felt a kind of bodily fear lest he should fall off the
face of the round earth into the abyss。 A gentle wind； laden with
pine odours from the sun…heated trees behind him； flapped its light
wing in his face： the humanity of the world smote his heart； the
great sky towered up over him； and its divinity entered his soul； a