30 FOOTING IT IN FRANCONIA 



peel bark from the birch trees," - so the 

 signs read ; and I say Amen. He has splen- 

 did flower gardens, too, and plants them 

 well out upon the wayside for all men to 

 enjoy. Long may it be before his soul is 

 required of him. 



By this time I was in the very prettiest 

 of the red-farm woods. Hermit thrushes 

 were there, also, standing upright in the 

 middle of the road, and in the forest hylas 

 were peeping, one of them a real champion 

 for the loudness of his tone. How full of 

 glory the place was, with the sunlight sifting 

 through the bright leaves and flickering 

 upon the shining birch trunks ! If I were 

 an artist, I think I would paint wood inte- 

 riors. 



My forenoon's walk was ended. Another 

 turn in the road, and I saw the carriage be- 

 fore me, the driver minding the horses, and 

 the passengers' seat vacant. The entomolo- 

 gists had gone into the woods looking for 

 specimens, and there I joined them. They 

 were in search of beetles, they said, and had 

 no objection to my assistance ; I had better 

 look for decaying toadstools. This was easy 



