86 NATURE STUDY. 



feet should trample on their dug-out. Now the trailing 

 Christmas-greens set snares for our unwary feet ; here in 

 the fence corner is a cluster of horse-gentian with four or- 

 ange globes at interv^als up the stalk in the axils of the 

 coarse leaves. 



Now, crossing the meadow, carpeted with bloom of clo- 

 ver, black eyed Susans, and maiden's tresses, we pause on 

 the brow of the hill, and view the landscape o'er. A 

 beautiful panorama opens before us, the city nestles in the 

 valley, midst a setting of green hills which rise about it for 

 miles and miles in great circles, and over all smiles the 

 bluest of blue skies, where a black crow wheels backward 

 and forward in fierce persuit of a hawk. 



Here we seat ourselves upon the greensward, for "a 

 feast of reason, and a flow of soul," and incidentally, to re- 

 fresh the inner man with the fruits of the land — which 

 flows — not with milk and honey, (tho' we hear the tinkle 

 of a cow-bell and the hum of bees) , but chestnuts, a wal- 

 nut or two, fresh huckleberries, sweet turnips purloined 

 from a near by field, choke-cherries from the hedge, and 

 some hard apples, seem ambrosia from the gods when eat- 

 en midst such surroundings. 



Again we take up our journey ; by a babbling brook, 

 past seamy boulders, where written in stone are records of 

 the past that he who runs may read ; down into a grassy 

 cart-path lined on either hand with masses of beautiful 

 feathery starred asters : the sweet fern, already budded 

 with the promise of another year's fruit fills the air with 

 fragrance, and on either side the lion's paw swings nodding 

 blossoms. Hark ! L^isten to the sweet murmuring melod}^ 

 from the tangle. It is a song sparrow whispering to its 

 mate. Everywhere the dainty gerardia hangs its modest 

 cups, and the loosestrife lifts its pretty whorled leaves. 



Such a study in color delights the eye in every direction. 

 The purpling poke-berries, the crimsoning dogwood, gold- 



