MATURE TRUANTS 



times when the body exults in motion. The 

 human machine springs to its work with wings, 

 and all the forces of the man exert a stimulating 

 pressure to the square inch. It is apt to be on 

 such an morning as was that in September, with a 

 bright sun shining, white clouds sailing over a 

 deep blue sky, with a fresh westerly breeze, and 

 the roads yet damp with the late rain ; something, 

 too, in the companionship, as if kindred spirits 

 were keeping step, or, better still, had taken hold 

 of hands, as children do when they romp. The 

 air was heavy with the fragrance of the wild-grape 

 vines, and the fields were deliciously russet just 

 that melting gradation of sienna and tawny 

 smears, running into a dull Naples yellow, that 

 you see on a finely baked custard and fringed 

 with early goldenrod. The old road ran be 

 tween stone walls, only visible here and there 

 through the flaming blackberry vines, but backed 

 up with great hedgerows, out of which the wild- 

 cherry trees and the elderberry, heavy with their 

 burdens, thrust themselves into view along with 

 the scrawny crab-apples. All that was seen of 

 human beings for several miles were the labourers 

 stacking the corn in the fields, and they gave no 

 heed to us. Once we passed a farm wagon heavily 

 loaded with great yellow pumpkins, and we left it 

 far behind creaking its way lazily. Now and then 

 a house by the roadside seemingly deserted, but 

 oftener the roofs of old-fashioned homesteads 

 sticking out of the vistas at a safe distance from 

 the highway, making themselves known as domes- 



