THE NOVEMBER WOODS 



215 



The November Woods. 



BY HARRY G. HlGBEE, HYDE PARK, MASS. 



"November breathes no nattering tale ; 

 The plain truth-teller of the year; 

 Who wins her heart, and he alone, 

 Knows she has sweetness all her own." 



The poet here pays loving tribute 

 to the month which most of us are in- 

 clined to regard as the least interest- 

 ing of the twelve. Nature is lavish in 

 September and October, when she 

 spreads the glory of her harvest over 

 the hills, and winter has its charm of 



teresting. The casual observer would 

 not expect to see flowers, fruits and 

 green ferns at this season, yet such 

 may be found. Many birds, recently 

 arrived to spend the winter months,— 

 with several other species which are 

 permanent residents, — may also be ob- 

 served and studied to much better ad- 

 vantage just now, than earlier when 

 the trees are in foliage, or later when 

 snow covers the ground and we can- 

 not move about so easily. Among 

 these are the juncos, kinglets, Brown 

 creepers and tree sparrows; all of 



•WE NEED NOT NOW BE CONFINED TO PATHS OR TRAILS." 



out-door sports as the crystaline pur- 

 ity of the snow makes all things beauti- 

 ful, but we are inclined to look upon 

 November as a time between seasons — ■ 

 of hare trees and howling winds; — ■ 

 when there is little of interest out of 

 doors. 



Let us take a ramble and see what 

 we can find. We should not be afraid 

 of the weather. — there are chill winds 

 and storms, of course, but what month 

 does not have its disadvantages? No- 

 vember gives us some delightful days 

 as well, and but few when we cannot 

 wander afield if properly clad. From 

 afar the woods appear bare and unin- 



which help to enliven the November 

 woods. 



How crisp and invigorating is the 

 air on a clear November day, — and you 

 need not be clad so heavily but that 

 walking is a real enjoyment. As you 

 enter the woods you are surprised to 

 find how different they seem if you 

 have not been accustomed to them at 

 this season of the year. We can now 

 see long distances ahead and the pe- 

 culiarities of the various trees and 

 shrubs are brought closely to our at- 

 tention, giving us excellent opportun- 

 ities for their comparison and study. 

 If we depend upon the leaves and flow- 



