Winter Takes Possession 243 



of summer yet remained unbroken, although the 

 crows were no longer to be heard and even the 

 chickadees were on that morning silent. 



There is a kindly delay in the gradual departure 

 of the more engaging charms of Mother Earth. 

 As in the whimsical Good Night symphony of 

 Papa Haydn, where one after another of the play 

 ers rises, puts out his candle, takes up his instru 

 ment and bows himself out, so the flowers and 

 the birds leave us ; the symphony goes on while 

 they fly south, tribe by tribe, while they fade and 

 wither, family after family ; and we enjoy the 

 strains as much when the performers are fewer as 

 when the orchestra was complete. But the sym 

 phony of Nature never really ceases ; even in the 

 dead stress of winter there are players in the woods, 

 piping their own particular parts, small parts, no 

 doubt, and not especially admired when the whole 

 conservatory is in force, but now quite delightful. 



The winter that has thus with rude and angry 

 hand given the blow of grace, as the French 

 phrase is, to lingering autumn, will be severe, if 

 the old country signs hold good. The snow-storm 

 that comes will not lead so tremendous a proces 

 sion of snows as this region often sees, because af 

 ter so great a snow-fall last season, and so frequent 

 and heavy rains throughout the summer, a dry 

 winter is more likely. But a very cold dry winter 



