In a Sea-side Forest. 



IT too often happens in these latter days that a 

 suggestive name proves sadly disappointing. We 

 look in vain for the attractive features the mind 

 pictured, and have good cause to criticise the un- 

 bridled imagination of forerunning visitors. For- 

 tunately, a recent ramble had no such painful 

 ending. I had heard of a wild-wood, and since 

 have found it. 



Clustered trees, though there be many, do not 

 of themselves make a forest. Many a woodland 

 tract is as uniform as a cornfield, or, at best, but 

 indefinite duplication of the trees along a village 

 street. If the rambler merely seeks the shade, 

 then one tree is sufficient, and perhaps an um- 

 brella is even an improvement, seeing we can plant 

 it where we choose. But now I had found a wild- 

 wood in the fullest sense of that suggestive phrase. 

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