SONG OF THE WILD-WOOD — NATURE'S JOYS. 69 



Scarlet breasts the ripples lave, 

 Scarlet dips the current wave. 

 Watch dragonfly darting up, 

 Rainbow flash o'er lily-cup, 

 Purple crest, silvery wing, 

 Restless life, O, insect king. 



See the wood cock of the brake, 

 Fledglings follow in her wake, 

 Downy balls of soft delight. 

 Downy balls of yellow light. 

 Watch gray squirrel frisking down 

 'Long the tree trunks mossy brown. 

 Chattering gray, bounding on 

 Through the brambles — now art gone. 



Hark ! afar, the hermit thrush. 

 An anthem clear, from underbrush. 

 Hark ! now near, the vireo sweet, 

 Trilling from wild -rose retreat. 

 Both warbling, a glad refrain. 

 Both singing, " O come again." 



So my heart, interfested, 

 Sang of bird, or lily-head 

 Nodding bright 'long forest trail, 

 " Wood nymphs " of the ferny vale. 

 Foxgloves, too, smile by the way, 

 Orchis and pipsisewa. 

 Star-flower, luminous white, 

 All wood-blooms to give delight. 



Loving Nature, the wild-wood bee, 

 Bird, flower, and whispering tree, 

 Loving Nature, 'tis all divine. 

 For their joys and bliss is thine. 

 Half their joys I have not told 

 For their joys are manifold. 

 Of their lives I gladly sing 

 Blith as songbird of free wing. 

 South Lyme, Conn, 



