An August Reverie. 209 



slabs that together made an enclosure only about 

 three feet in length by little more than one-half 

 that measurement in width and depth. In all 

 these occur charcoal and partly consumed human 

 remains. Cremation was never complete, and the 

 burning occurred in the stone cists or graves ; and 

 further, many of them were used time after time 

 until filled with human mould and ashes, and then 

 sealed up." As yet I have found no evidence of 

 such ceremonies here in the tide-water portion of 

 the river valley, and my friend writes of the moun- 

 tains some sixty miles away. That the same 

 people in the two localities had different burial 

 customs is very possible, but it may be the inter- 

 loping Shawnees were the stone-grave people and 

 not the Delawares. But let us turn from this 

 gruesome subject, fit only for dull days and dys- 

 peptics, and seek the glare and glitter of August 

 sunshine. 



This is the proper work for August days : put 

 your hands behind your back and send imagination 

 on a picnic. It so happened that where the river- 

 shore kindly offered firm root-hold to enormous 

 elms there was, besides, a gently-sloping beach. 

 o 18* 



