A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



spring, before other and better flowers be- 

 come plentiful. 



There is a clump of bushes near the brook 

 that attracts my attention early. It is the 

 fly honeysuckle. The pale green leaves ap- 

 pear while other shrubs can boast only swelling 

 buds. Later, its slender branches are covered 

 with honey-colored bell-shaped flowers. The 

 flowers hang in pairs, and are airy and grace- 

 ful. 



On a hillside, near the road, the slender but 

 wiry wild columbine swings its Chinese lan- 

 terns above its humble neighbors, the star- 

 flower and the windflower. Near Western 

 Avenue, where the bed rock overlooks the 

 harbor, the cliffs are white with saxifrage. 

 Scattered along the old highway may be found 

 the common cinquefoil. Its yellow flower 

 looks like a strawberry blossom, and straw- 

 berry blossom it is to most persons. If one 

 is in doubt let him or her place the two side 

 by side. The strawberry leaves are in three 

 divisions, while the cinquefoil is in five. The 

 stems of the strawberry are hairy, while the 

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