Midsummer Memoranda 



I have already described), the birds had 

 come out too — especially my iridescent 

 Indigo friends just mentioned. 



As I entered our delightful by-way once 

 again — more secluded, more fragrant, more 

 woodsy than ever, I espied them in every 

 direction. Countless rain-drops sparkled 

 on all the vines and bushes and trees 

 around and above me (for I found the road 

 almost completely overarched now from 

 end to end by wild grape and cherry — 

 the branches of the latter laden with 

 ripened clusters) ; and this glittering splen- 

 dor, coupled with a hundred melodies of 

 running water from both sides, seemed to 

 fill the singers with great joy 



They warbled incessantly and tumul- 

 tuously, and soon started many others 

 a-going — including even two big cracked- 

 voiced Blue Jays, who hurried right across 

 my path in their gayest plumage with a 

 young one trailing on behind; and then, 

 an anything but cracked-voiced Brown 

 Thrasher, who wouldn't let me see him, 

 yet sang his sweetest just the same. A 



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