WAVERLEY OAKS AND BUSSEY HEM- 

 LOCKS. 



A FEW rods beyond the railway station in 

 Waverley the tracks of the Fitchburg and Mas- 

 sachusetts Central roads cross a meadow through 

 which Beaver Brook flows on its way to the 

 Charles. In this meadow the towns of Belmont, 

 Watertown and Waltham find a common cor- 

 ner, and here stand the Waverley oaks. Some 

 of these ancient trees grow on the level land 

 through which the brook has cut its channel, 

 but most of them rise from the narrow glacial 

 ridges which project into or border the meadow. 

 There are few places near Boston which welcome 

 spring earlier than this moist and sunny corner. 

 Here early spring birds are found, and many of 

 the choicest flowers flourish. Saturday, Febru- 

 ary 21, was a misty, moisty day with gray skies, 

 wet snow and rain-laden air. Beaver Brook 

 meadow was as wet as a meadow can be without 

 changing its name, and the brook itself was 

 more than knee-deep. 



The meadow, that afternoon, yielded to me 

 the first flower of spring. It is true I had seen 



