The Fall Begins 163 



The Fall Begins 



THE first fall day has come. Premonitions 

 of the change of the year, the ripening 

 of fruitage, the pause of growth, the 

 hastening of colour here and there, such signs 

 have been noted. But with the cool northwest 

 wind of yesterday one felt that the fall was with 

 us, and that sweet, subtle, wild fragrance of the 

 woods breathed out on the wanderers in forest and 

 field, making a new atmosphere of fulfilment. 

 There is an ichor in the autumn air which renews 

 human life and gives it fresh zest ; over the hills, 

 over the rowen clover, over the pastures of golden- 

 rod and aster, over the ponds with their lilies, 

 over the swales with their flags and grasses and 

 sedges, through the forests with their early fall 

 of prematurely ripening leaves and their nutty 

 fragrances, over and among the copses of glowing 

 sumach pompons and joe-pyes, thoroughwort and 

 sunflowers, salicin-breathing willow and delicious 

 hearty sweet fern, comes the inspiriting essence 

 of life that is accomplishing its purpose. It fills 



