Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
1
235
The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft
·
George Gissing
25
But
I
was
thinking
of
the
year
which
saw
my
first
exodus
from
London.
On
an
irresistible
impulse,
I
suddenly
made
up
my
mind
to
go
into
Devon,
a
part
of
England
I
had
never
seen.
At
the
end
of
March
I
escaped
from
my
grim
lodgings,
and,
before
I
had
time
to
reflect
on
the
details
of
my
undertaking,
I
found
myself
sitting
in
sunshine
at
a
spot
very
near
to
where
I
now
dwell--before
me
the
green
valley
of
the
broadening
Exe
and
the
pine-clad
ridge
of
Haldon.
That
was
one
of
the
moments
of
my
life
when
I
have
tasted
exquisite
joy.
My
state
of
mind
was
very
strange.
Though
as
boy
and
youth
I
had
been
familiar
with
the
country,
had
seen
much
of
England's
beauties,
it
was
as
though
I
found
myself
for
the
first
time
before
a
natural
landscape.
Those
years
of
London
had
obscured
all
my
earlier
life;
I
was
like
a
man
town-born
and
bred,
who
scarce
knows
anything
but
street
vistas.
The
light,
the
air,
had
for
me
something
of
the
supernatural--affected
me,
indeed,
only
less
than
at
a
later
time
did
the
atmosphere
of
Italy.
It
was
glorious
spring
weather;
a
few
white
clouds
floated
amid
the
blue,
and
the
earth
had
an
intoxicating
fragrance.
Then
first
did
I
know
myself
for
a
sun-worshipper.
How
had
I
lived
so
long
without
asking
whether
there
was
a
sun
in
the
heavens
or
not?
Under
that
radiant
firmament,
I
could
have
thrown
myself
upon
my
knees
in
adoration.
As
I
walked,
I
found
myself
avoiding
every
strip
of
shadow;
were
it
but
that
of
a
birch
trunk,
I
felt
as
if
it
robbed
me
of
the
day's
delight.
I
went
bare-headed,
that
the
golden
beams
might
shed
upon
me
their
unstinted
blessing.
That
day
I
must
have
walked
some
thirty
miles,
yet
I
knew
not
fatigue.
Could
I
but
have
once
more
the
strength
which
then
supported
me!
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
