The Ordway new era., 1918-11-08
N A QUIET reach of the
Thames my friends house
boat is tethered to two posts

Thames my friends house
boat is tethered to two posts
as IL 1t never meant to go
away. Fullerton ]. Waldo writes from
London to the Philadelphia Ledger.
Just above the mooring place the old,
gnarled Charon who for penny plies
his trade has dug up ancient British
poetry and Roman spearheads in the
eel-nursing mud. But we did not now
require his professional service, for
across the river to meet us came like
Il shaft of light his amateur rival.
("Rivnl." of course, If you run the
word bnck to its origin, means one
who dwells on the bank of a stream)
She was girl with hair of bur
nished gold bobbed and filleted, who
bent manwise to the oars, in her yell
low sweater and white skirt, naiad
Of the rushes who seemed to have ris-
en- out of the stream, its own authen-
tic spirit.
The houseboat itself, white-painted,
held aloft under its striped canopy and
ever soft red rugs, hanging garden
Of geranium baskets. with vines whose
tendrils delicately wavered on the soft
whisper of the breeze. A clutter of
canoes and punts gently fretted the
floating platform below. as though
upon a river of Cathny. In the living
room, radiant with violas and roses
and geranlums, the filmy snow of the
curtains was parted by fireplace and
over 1t clock restored the sense of
time that elsewhere was pleasantly
absent or negligible.
Met a Flying Man.
Two rallied gangways led ashore
and no sooner had 1 put my modest
luggage aboard than to the shore we
went, to find the golf links close Mt
hand, where the fat sheep grazed. A
young and debonair Engllshman met
us there, and learned to my surprise
that he was accidental. He was a
flying man, and something wrong with
the engine compelled him to volplane
down to paddock next the golf
course. "'Tis an i'll wind that has
blown me good" thought. as 1 shook
rands with this Brushwood boy angel
unnwares.
The IarlSs were singing, and paused
often with cleek or lofter in midair
to hear the sound. I think I care more
for George Meredith's clark Ascend
ing" than do for Shelley's ''unpremedi-
tated" singer, but If 1 had to choose
between them I would take them both.
Such overflowing billfuls of ecstasy,
from such little bird And he pres
emily went off lit seemed) in company
with disreputable troupe of sparrow
hawks, singing to them still, as an
t-H% nj, n
pany of songless tramps. Can 1t be
that an English links, with Paul Pot
ter cattle and Daubigny pools and will
lows round about, ever hears harsh
word over golf ball sliced or stymied
or In obstinate hiding?
Above us airplanes purred and were
yigilant increasingly. And in my heart
[ blessed them, and with my hand
I waved them greetings that 1 hope
they saw. In single group on the
way to the links I had beheld seven
captiye sausage" balloons-as though
q benevolent constitutional monarchy
lad sent all these things that plain
American might have an afternoon of
snort. What close neighbors are the
implements of war and of peace in
the old world today!
We walked back to the boat, through
garden plot brimming with blue VI
olas. and there was a tiny cemetery
with more violas in glass on the
grave of cygnet born the day before.
Mother Bird Had Done Murder.
Then we met the mother bird, the
murderess. In stately circles she was
swimming round the boat, swan
more lovely to look upon than any
that bore Lohengrin and heard his
tributary song.
The day before four cygnets were
tatched out. Three of them were with
her now-the fourth, she had decided.
with an unrufiled calm I doubt not,
was one too many. So she had slain
it. TRANQUILITY enough the bereaved
family was taking Its outing-so soon
after the funeral!
Father was the advance guard, like
cruiser bringing in transport
ship and lesser craft. Two gray
fluff balls were on the mothers back,
IN warm cradle deep and soft be-
tween her wings. They arched and
stretched their necks as they saw her
doing. and took In all the view. and
peered over the side with remark
able air of detachment at their small
brother padding desperately to keep up