May and Early June 



were guarding some mysterious secret. It 

 was almost a disappointment last year to 

 come across a whole flock of these flowers 

 beneath the pines which skirted a neigh- 

 bor's lawn. When an orchid leaves its ex- 

 clusive haunts for a gentleman's country 

 seat we feel a little as if a queen had stepped 

 from her throne to mingle promiscuously 

 with her subjects. I doubt if either of the 

 yellow species would so demean them- 

 selves. One should soon begin to search 

 well the wooded hillsides if he wish to 

 possess himself of the bright beauty of 

 *' whip-poor-will's shoe," as the larger 

 yellow lady's slipper is sometimes called, 

 and the lonely swamps if he hope for the 

 smaller, more fragrant variety. 



In the deep rich woods where we 

 find the twin-flowers are masses of the 

 dark, shining foliage and straw-colored 

 blossoms of the Clintojiia. Thick in our 

 path lie the three-divided leaves and tiny 

 flowers of the gold-thread, and we stoop 

 41 



