52 



WINTER 



than the trail of some animal like the 'possum or the N 

 mink or the fox. To go in with one of these through \ 

 the woods-door is to find yourself at home. Any one! 

 can manage to get inside the woods, as the grocery \ 

 boy or the census man manages to get inside our 

 houses. You can bolt in at any time on business. 

 But a trail t remember, is Nature's invitation. Go 

 softly in with 'possum, or rabbit, or coon, and at the 

 threshold of the trees you will be met by the Spirit j 

 of the Woods you will be made a guest in thist 

 secret, shadowy house of the out-of-doors. 



But do not fail first to break bread with the \ 

 'possum. A persimmon, or a handful of wintergreen fj M 

 berries, or a nip of sassafras root, or a piece of spruce/ 

 gum, or a lump of liquid amber share anything,} 

 take any small part in the life of these who live wildp * * 

 in the woods, and they will meet you at the thresh- J 

 old and make you more than welcome. 



I went in with the 'possum. He had traveled ^ 

 home leisurely and without fear, as his tracks plainly ^ 

 showed. He was full of persimmons. A good happy t; 

 world this, where such fare could be had for the. v> 

 picking ! What need to hurry home ? Unless, indeed, f 

 one were in danger of falling asleep by the way ! So 1^ ,;' 

 thought, too, as I followed his winding path; and iff 

 I was tracking him to his den, it was only to wake 

 him for a moment with the compliments of the } 

 season. But when I finally found him in his hollow j 

 gum, he was so sound asleep he barely knew that 





