146 FOOTING IT IN FKANCONIA 



budded mountain maple or of yellow birch. 

 Texture, color, shape, vein ing and folding 

 all is a piece of Nature's perfect work. 

 No less beautiful I stop again and again 

 before a bed of them are the dainty 

 branching beech-ferns. There is no telling 

 how pretty they are on their slender shining 

 stems. And all the way I am taking leave 

 of the road. I may never see it again. 

 " Good-by, old friend," I say ; and the trees 

 and the brook seem to answer me, " Good- 



