At dawn, or early night fall, the Swan river oblivious to you and me, flows along its destined path and I and my faithful dog do stare. That it has a presence of its own, it's own mistress, is to be sure as the current pushes it along, day in day out, year in, year out, and centuriy in and century out.
It is much like life really, we have an inborn spirit within us, that propels us forward, each attending daily to our duties, to fulfil obligations, to work, to play - this we do without question really. So, upon this morning, I question why do we become so set in our ways , we, like the river just flow along.
Continuing my theme with the great nature writers, that I am familiar with it at least, life often was a process of 'joy,' and they were mesmerised by the beauty of the rivers, the lands, and saw an unknown presence or hand at work within it.
Thomas Hardy, wrote many books and poems, alas I no longer have the book of poems, but the most recent book I have read was the Woodlanders, written in 1887. It is a novel or more like a country tale, and is set in a small woodland village called Little Hintock. It is is really a bitter attack upon on a society hemmed in by petty morality and dogged by the status-seekers. It tells of the doomed and tragic love of a genuine Forrester Giles Winterbourne for Grace Melbury, who did share feelings for each other when young, however as her father aspires a more to be grandeur husband for her, she is sent to Boarding School. When her education is complete she returns to her home and parents and is very polished, refined and beautifully attired. You can guess the rest really but when a Doctor by name of Edred (when named) Fitzpiers, quoted as an impoverished aristocratic card, arrives on the scene with his polished ways and rank and title, poor Giles, has to take a back seat, and his love and in time he marries a very simple country girl. Well, the fancy Doctor in time, deceives his wife Grace , with an actress who was an old flame. Grace who rushes to Giles and he puts her up in his woodland cottage, as he moves out and lives in a shed and gradually dies of exposure. Grace, in the meantime, returns to the heartless Doctor. Hardy, did say, "I think I like it, as a story, best of all." I think what carries this story along is the beautiful country side, and the descriptions of it, scene in, scene out in all weathers and describes a life no longer current or available, but the story is in itself, happens constantly. It has been aclaimed for its depth of story and beautiful scenery. I just loved the scenery, and description of the woods. It is beautiful
