FROM A NEW ENGLAND HILLSIDE. 253 



hot iron, at which one can look without 

 flinching. 



Only once has the smoke fallen low 

 enough for me to perceive its odour, and 

 this was at nightfall a few days ago, as I 

 drove over the hills some miles to the west 

 ward of the village. Yesterday in the after 

 noon, I suddenly perceived a flame on the 

 side of the mountain two or three miles to 

 the northeastward, but it lasted but a little 

 while, and I presume was looked after and 

 taken care of by vigilant watchers. This 

 afternoon the atmosphere thickened until 

 the sun wholly disappeared, and with it 

 most of the landscape, and people spoke of 

 the famous &quot;yellow day,&quot; although the 

 colour was not so marked as it has been on 

 two or three occasions during the past 

 week ; but the barometer is high, and 

 mounts steadily higher. 



My strawberry plants, which took a good 

 hold on the earth, are dying one by one, 

 and half are gone. But the melons seem 

 to revel in the dry soil and heavy air, from 

 which they have somehow extracted the 

 most delicious juices, while my tomatoes 

 and corn and potatoes defy competitors 

 through all the countryside. It should be 

 said, however, that we have had heavy dews, 



