77 



Field Meeting at North Beverly, June 15. 



THE RAMBLE. 



The Institute, with her ripe experience in Field Meet- 

 ings, was not to be allured, by the almanac announcement 

 that spring was present, into rambles over fields doubt- 

 fully released from the dominion of winter — wet, cold, 

 and showing only at wide intervals, the green of some 

 venturesome plant pitifully striving for life; it might 

 find its own predicament too exactly typified in some of 

 the stunted plants, which, alternately cheered by days 

 of sunshine and disheartened by nights of frost, seemed 

 repressed and discomforted. Young enough to be enthu- 

 siastic, the Institute is now far enough removed from 

 extreme youth to have her enthusiasm tempered by good 

 judgment, therefore she selected a day in the middle of 

 the first month of summer, to lead her disciples and 

 friends for the first time this year, into fields well stored 

 by nature with forms of life. But 



"The best laid schemes o'mice an' men 

 Gang afl a-gley." 



The morning which should have proved inviting, threat- 

 ened to drench all who should venture from shelter, and 

 these threatenings kept so many cautious persons at 

 home, that not more than one hundred ladies and gentle- 

 men presented themselves for the start. 



The region selected for examination, was in North 

 Beverly. To reach it, the excursionists from Salem took 

 an early train at the Eastern Railroad depot. On dis- 

 mounting, after a brief ride, Mr. Daniel Welch appeared 

 and greatly lightened the cares, and added to the com- 

 fort of the party, by taking the provisions and all super- 

 fluous bairsaae to Mystic Hall, where in due time the 

 collation was to be served. 



