Frequently,
After I Had First Begun To Experience It Consciously, I Would Go Out
Of My Way To Meet It,
And I used to steal out of the house alone when
the moon was at its full to stand, silent
And motionless, near some
group of large trees, gazing at the dusky green foliage silvered by
the beams; and at such times the sense of mystery would grow until a
sensation of delight would change to fear, and the fear increase until
it was no longer to be borne, and I would hastily escape to recover
the sense of reality and safety indoors, where there was light and
company. Yet on the very next night I would steal out again and go to
the spot where the effect was strongest, which was usually among the
large locust or white acacia trees, which gave the name of Las Acacias
to our place. The loose feathery foliage on moonlight nights had a
peculiar hoary aspect that made this tree seem more intensely alive
than others, more conscious of my presence and watchful of me.
I never spoke of these feelings to others, not even to my mother,
notwithstanding that she was always in perfect sympathy with me with
regard to my love of nature. The reason of my silence was, I think, my
powerlessness to convey in words what I felt; but I imagine it would
be correct to describe the sensation experienced on those moonlight
night among the trees as similar to the feeling a person would have
if visited by a supernatural being, if he was perfectly convinced that
it was there in his presence, albeit silent and unseen, intently
regarding him, and divining every thought in his mind.
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