12 TRAMPS WITH AN ENTHUSIAST. 



silence " — silence that had haunted my dreams 

 for months — broken only by the voices of 

 birds, whispers of leaves, and ripple of brook. 

 In this spot, 



" where Nature dwells alone, 

 Of man unknowing, and to man unknown," 



(as I tried to persuade myself) I had estab- 

 lished my out-of-door study, and here I had 

 spent perfect days, watching the residents of 

 the vicinity, and saturating my whole being 

 with the delights of sight and sound and scent 

 till it was thrilling happiness just to be alive. 

 Would that I could impart the freshness, the 

 fragrance, the heavenly peace of those days to 

 this chronicle, to comfort and strengthen my 

 readers not so blessed as to share them ! 



The dwellers in this delectable spot, where I 

 persuaded my friend to rest a moment, I had 

 not found altogether what I should have chosen ; 

 for, unfortunately, the place most desirable for 

 the student is not always the best for birds. 

 They are quite apt to desert the cool, breezy 

 heights charming to wood-lovers, to build in 

 some impenetrable tangle, where the ground is 

 wet and full of treacherous quagmires, where 

 mosquitoes abound, and flies do greatly flourish, 

 where close-growing branches and leaves keep 

 out every breath of air, and there is no solid 

 rest for the legs of a camp-stool. Such a differ- 



