6 THE BROOK BOOK 



scalloped rim of each was set with a row of pearly 

 dewdrops, so perfect, so clear and so pure that 

 there could be no doubt as to what master hand had 

 fashioned and set them. Their beauty fairly hurt. 

 We continued our way, now clambering up the 

 most entrancing little waterfalls, now crossing on 

 natural bridges of fallen tree trunks or breaking 

 our way through tangled bushes. Finally we came 

 to the most pretentious cataract of them all, invit- 

 ing glimpses of which we had caught from below. 

 This was the place towards which we had struggled, 

 for here, in the very swiftest rapids of Stony Brook, 

 dwelt the tiny insect whose life history the Pro- 

 fessor was then studying. To-day I was to be 

 allowed for the first time to collect material for 

 his studies. Above the falls was a dry mossy bank, 

 where we sat to enjoy the beauty of the scene. 

 After drinking in its wild simplicity, as yet undis- 

 turbed by the "improvements" of civilization, the 

 Professor said, "Suppose we see what Eliza has put 

 into this knapsack." He spread out a napkin and 

 placed upon it sundry tempting packages. Never 

 did graham biscuit, cold meat and hard-boiled eggs 

 taste half so good as on that mossy bank, with the 

 tinkling waterfall at our feet and Stony Brook 

 laughing away in the shadows below. 



After collecting a goodly quantity of material 

 for study we found it was time to start home. 

 We should be late for luncheon as it was, and 

 Eliza could not be expected to provide two extra 

 meals in one day, even if it was a holiday. We 



