ON THE COAST OF MAINE 



esque " small gray house facing the morning 

 light," being a modern structure which of- 

 fered the rare combination of a comfortable 

 home in the edge of an undisturbed forest, 

 completely secluded from roads and their 

 traffic, yet within two minutes' reach of the 

 common way to the village. The outlook from 

 my window was into the tops of tall spruces 

 and firs, relieved here and there by a pine, 

 a birch, or a maple. Through a vista, and 

 over the tops of more distant trees, could be 

 seen the broad Atlantic Ocean, and above all 



" The blue arch of sky 

 Where clouds go sailing by." 



The feathered neighbors had evidently ac- 

 cepted the house as a part of the woods, for 

 they came freely about, delighting especially 

 in a worn and battered old spruce within 

 fifteen feet of the window. On this tree, - 

 which doubtless furnished a choice assort- 

 ment of bird dainties, first or last, appeared 

 all the birds of the vicinity. 



As usual, the bird-life possessed a character 

 of its own, and it impressed me as a partic- 

 ularly refined neighborhood. No vulgar, 

 squawking English sparrow disturbed its 



