242 STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



the most of them are bright and clear, and unequalled 

 by those of any other period in exhilarating salubrity. 

 There are no sleeping mists drawn over the skies to 

 obscure the transparency of the atmosphere ; but far as 

 the eye can reach, the distant hills lift up their heads 

 with a clear unclouded outline, and the blue arch of 

 heaven preserves its pure azure, down almost to the 

 bounds of the horizon. In the mornings of such days 

 a white fleecy cloud is settled upon the streams and 

 lowlands, in which the early sunbeams are refracted 

 with all the myriad hues of dawn, forming halos and 

 imperfect rainbows, that seem to be pictured on a 

 groundwork of drifted snow. By this vapor, nearly 

 motionless at sunrise, we may trace the winding course 

 of the small rivers, far along through the distant pros 

 pect. But the sun quickly dissipates this fleecy cloud. 

 As the winds float it slowly and gracefully over the 

 plains, it melts into transparency ; and ere the sun has 

 gained ten degrees in his orbit, the last feathery frag 

 ment has vanished, and left him in the clear blue firma 

 ment, to pursue the remainder of his career, without 

 one shadow to tarnish his glory. 



October is one of the most brilliant of the months, 

 unsurpassed in the clearness of its skies, and in the 

 wonderful variety of tints which are sprinkled over all 

 vegetation. He who has an eye and a taste for beauti 

 ful colors, must ever admire the scenery of this last 

 month of foliage and flowers. As nature loses the 

 delicacy of her charms, she is more lavish of the gaudy 

 decorations, with which she embroiders her apparel. 

 While she appears before us in her living attire, from 

 the early spring to the late autumn, she is constantly 

 changing her vesture with each revolving month. The 

 flowers that spangle the green turf, or wreathe them- 



