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* 



