Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-06
ALONG THE GREEN NESHAMLNY
By Christopher Morley

sight that never tires. A country road
crosses the stream on a fimsy bridge that
leans on stout old stone piers. The road
bends away uphill among Il wilderness of
blackberry bushes, winding among pas
lures where the cows are grazing. That is
a good kind of road; the sort OF road one
associates with bare feet and, hot dust
sitting between boyish toes.
ABOVE this bridge the creek shadows.
Through the clear water one sees the
bottom bumped with brown stones. Many
of the larger boulders bear a little white
paint stain on their upward ridges, show
ing where venturesome eXcursionist has
bumped one of the transports of the emer-
gency fleet corporation. Dragonflies CLEAN
like winged scarfpins. Under the boat
flashes the bright shape of a small perch
or sunfish. On the willow trunks that
lean along the bank an occasional fisher
man is watching his float. The current
moves faster here, dimplng and twisting
IN little swirs. The water shines and
giows: 1t seems to have caught whole acres
or living sunlight. Far above great hawk
Is lazily santing and sliding, watching
curlousy TO see the mail plane from Bus.
Teton that passes up the valley every
afternoon.
There Is no peace like that of little
river and here it is at it's best.
Az LAST one reaches the point where
II the boat is to go further 1t must be
propelled by hand, the pilot walking bare
loot in the stream. Easing her round
sharp reefs, pushing through swift little
passages where the current spurts deeply
between larger stones, she may be pushed
up to huge tree trunk lying along
the shore, surrounded by the delicious
ly soft and fluid mud loved by country
urchins, the mud that schlOops when one
withdraws the sunken foot. Here. the
world reduced to "a green thought in a
sreer-shade,' one may watch the water
-olrds tiptoeing and teetsring over the
shadows, catch the tune of the little
rapids scufiiing round the bend and
eat whatever sandwiches are vouchsafed
| by the Lady of the White Hand. High
| above treetops and framing the view
| stands the enormous viaduct Of the Tren-
| ton cutoff A heavy freight train thun.
dering over it now and then keeps one in
| touch with the straining world.
| AMONG the swift water that bickers
| "A round the bend one may get a din and
sprawl in the fashion that is in favor
| with those who love the scour of lightly
running water over the naked flesh That
corner of the stream is remote and
screened. There is a little gap between
two shouldery stones where the creek pours
itself chuckling and vehement. The hot
tom Is grown with soft, spongy grasses
that are very pleasant to squat upon.
presume that every man in the world talxes
any opportunity he can to wallow IN .
running brook. It is an old tradition and
there cannot be too much Of it.
| THE little rivers are excellent friends ot
man, They are brisk, cheerful and full
of quiet corners of sun. They are cleal
and clean, the terror of dark unknown
waters is not in them. | have known ant
loved many such, and | hope to max,
friends with more. When I look back and
reckon up the matters that are cause TO,
regret there will not stand among then
my private and pagan sluice in the brigh
water OF Seshaminy.
n