motes of tbe IRigbt 



screech-owl, and wonder if they could n't 'a' found 

 one somewhere, if they 'd 'a' looked a little further." 

 This sounded strangely, coming from the lips of 

 an old man who honestly believed in luck and 

 the asserted signs thereof; but then, ignorant or 

 educated, who among us is consistent ? 



But not all winter nights are tinted with volcanic 

 dust, and what of those of more commonplace 

 character of those, for instance, when the full 

 moon is shining on miles of snow-clad fields ? It 

 is not always attractive. There is a ghostliness 

 about it suggesting the pallid remains of a sun- 

 shiny day. This is the more true when we can 

 see but the bare landscape and hear nothing; but 

 the whim vanishes when some night-prowling ani- 

 mal passes by, or we see the shadow of a wander- 

 ing owl. If there are trees near by, we may be 

 startled by the flying squirrel; and look more 

 closely about us if we hear the crisp rattle of the 

 yielding snow-crust, and see half-a-dozen white- 

 footed vesper mice go scampering across the wide 

 expanse. These creatures look twice their size at 

 such a time, and with what a thrill do we watch 

 the race if a weasel is in pursuit of them. Re- 

 member, too, that moonlight keeps many a bird 

 awake, and so we should be on the lookout for 

 such birds as are probably to be seen in the same 

 place by day. I have known a whole colony of 

 white-throated sparrows to twitter at midnight, 

 and even to fly out from the green-brier thicket 

 8 



