Page 22 - Adventures in shadow-land

thirsty* she drank of its waters, which seemed to
serve alike as food and drink; when tired, she

would lie fearlessly down upon its grassy margin,

and sleep, as she would imagine, only for a few
minutes, for there would be no change in the
strange sky nor in the earth-light when she

wrould awake from what it had been when she
lay down; and yet in reality she would sleep as

long as she would have done in her little bed at
home;

For two whole days, which yet seemed as only
a few hours, the child followed the brook. Dur­

ing this time she had felt no desire to leave the
path; she had unhesitatingly obeyed the rippling

voice of the brook, which seemed to say, “ Fol­
low, follow m e!" But now there was a change:

the water, at times, encroached upon the path,
and rocks obstructed the current, around which
little waves broke and dashed, while strange little

flames, which yet did not burn, and gave no heat,
started from the waves* dancing on them; and

misty shapes, more definite than those she had first
seen* beckoned to her to come to them. Now*

Eva felt an. irresistible longing to leave the brook,