large/9571/a_dreamers_tales_dm_1501_librivox_64kb_mp3/dreamerstales_04_dunsany_64kb_12
large/9571/a_dreamers_tales_dm_1501_librivox_64kb_mp3/dreamerstales_04_dunsany_64kb
English
9571
For some years I watched these signs attentively, until I became certain that London was passing away. FOR SOME YEARS I WATCHED THESE SIGNS ATTENTIVELY UNTIL I BECAME CERTAIN THAT LONDON WAS PASSING AWAY
 white, for the mud cares not for its forsaken things. Then the ebb came, and I saw the dead eyes of the houses and the jealousy of the other forgotten things that the storm had not carried thence. And some more centuries passed over the ebb and flow and over the loneliness of things for gotten. And I lay there all the while in the careless grip of the mud, never wholly covered, yet never able to go free, and I longed for the great caress of the warm Earth or the comfortable lap of the Sea. Sometimes men found my bones and buried them, but the tradition never died, and my friends' successors always brought them back. At last the barges went no more, and there were fewer lights; shaped timbers no longer floated down the fairway, and there came instead old wind-uprooted trees in all their natural simplicity. At last I was aware that somewhere near me a blade of grass was growing, and the moss began to appear all over the dead houses. One day some thistledown went drifting over the river. LY IT LEFT THEM WHITE FOR THE MUD CARES NOT FOR ITS FORSAKEN THINGS THEN THE EBB CAME AND I SAW THE DEAD EYES OF THE HOUSES AND THE JEALOUSY OF THE OTHER FORGOTTEN THINGS THAT THE STORM HAD NOT CARRIED THENCE AND SOME MORE CENTURIES PASSED OVER THE EBB AND FLOW AND OVER THE LONELINESS OF THINGS FORGOTTEN AND I LAY THERE ALL THE WHILE IN THE CARELESS GRIP OF THE MUD NEVER WHOLLY COVERED YET NEVER ABLE TO GO FREE AND I LONGED FOR THE GREAT CARESS OF THE WARM EARTH OR FOR THE COMFORTABLE LAP OF THE SEA SOMETIMES MEN FOUND MY BONES AND BURIED THEM BUT THE TRADITION NEVER DIED AND MY FRIEND'S SUCCESSORS ALWAYS BROUGHT THEM BACK AT LAST THE BARGES WENT NO MORE AND THERE WERE FEWER LIGHTS SHAPED TIMBERS NO LONGER FLOATED DOWN THE FAIR WAY AND THERE CAME INSTEAD OLD WIND UPROOTED TREES IN ALL THEIR NATURAL SIMPLICITY AT LAST I WAS AWARE THAT SOMEWHERE NEAR ME A BLADE OF GRASS WAS GROWING AND THE MOSS BEGAN TO APPEAR ALL OVER THE DEAD HOUSES ONE DAY SOME THISTLEDOWN WENT DRIFTING OVER THE RIVER
large/9571/a_dreamers_tales_dm_1501_librivox_64kb_mp3/dreamerstales_04_dunsany_64kb
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