
audiobook
LITTLE RIVERS - A BOOK OF ESSAYS IN PROFITABLE IDLENESS by Henry Van Dyke
DEDICATION
PRELUDE
LITTLE RIVERS
A LEAF OF SPEARMINT - RECOLLECTIONS OF A BOY AND A ROD.
AMPERSAND
A HANDFUL OF HEATHER
THE RISTIGOUCHE FROM A HORSE-YACHT
ALPENROSEN AND GOAT'S MILK
AU LARGE
In this gently winding collection, the author invites listeners to pause and savor the simple pleasures of wandering by water’s edge. With lyrical prose that feels like a stroll through a sun‑dappled forest, each essay reflects on rivers as lively companions, drawing out their “voice” and the quiet conversations they inspire. The tone balances quiet humor with earnest reverence, turning everyday scenes—fluttering robins, blooming dandelions, the soft glide of a trout—into meditations on contentment and the art of profitable idleness.
Beyond the flowing streams, the writer explores other natural friends, contrasting the intimate familiarity of a river with the vast, impersonal sea and the steadfast yet mute mountains. Personal anecdotes, such as a shared walk with a poet beneath a blossoming chestnut, give the reflections a warm, conversational texture. Listeners will find themselves drifting along these thoughtful currents, discovering that the smallest ripples often carry the deepest insights.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (320K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Donald Lainson; David Widger
Release date
May 12, 2006
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1852–1933
Remembered for graceful, reflective writing, this American author moved easily between the pulpit, the classroom, and public life. His stories, poems, and essays brought warmth and moral clarity to a wide readership in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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by Henry Van Dyke

by Henry Van Dyke

by Henry Van Dyke

by Henry Van Dyke

by Henry Van Dyke

by Henry Van Dyke

by Henry Van Dyke

by Henry Van Dyke