A JOURNEY TO NATURE 



out into a flickering flame and sent up a thread 

 of scented smoke, whereupon he stepped back 

 and admired it as if he had seen a patient coming 

 out of a syncope. I placed armful after armful 

 of the cobs on end around the little blaze and 

 saw them with boyish delight turn into glowing 

 coals and totter over into a bed of ashes, the pile 

 throwing out a pleasant warmth and a phosphores 

 cent glow that changed the whole aspect of affairs. 

 The rain rattled on the siding and came at times 

 in windy swashes that made the old structure 

 bend and creak, but it only added to the glow 

 of our fire that made a pleasant circle of red 

 light and threw our moving shadows in grotesque 

 silhouettes against the walls. We hung our cor 

 duroy jackets on some projecting boards to dry 

 and frisked round in our flannel shirts. Finding 

 two short logs, which at some time had evidently 

 been used as milking-stools, the Doctor tore off 

 a loose board and extemporized a little table, 

 upon which he spread the remnants of a lunch 

 that he drew from his capacious pockets. Then, 

 seeing it laid out, he took the trumpet-flower 

 from his coat and stuck it in a crack of the board 

 as a decorative touch, and gave himself, with 

 many airs of connoisseurship, to the roasting of 

 his pet potatoes, an exquisite job which consisted 

 in &quot; chucking them into the ashes &quot; and not let 

 ting them burn up. 



I recall now with reminiscent pleasure how my 

 old friend wooed me into the boyishness of all 

 this, making me forget all my discomfort, and 



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