A FROG CONCERT 63 



But that night came up a severe thunder- 

 storm, and drawn shades and closed doors 

 took on a new importance. In all other 

 respects the place was very nice and plea- 

 sant. 



As I sat on the piazza that evening, I 

 noticed first an ominous absence of bird- 

 voices, and next the presence of a numerous 

 frog population about the little lake close by. 

 The musical performances of these voluble 

 reptiles began about sunset and increased in 

 volume and power till nothing else could be 

 heard. If all the thrushes in the state had 

 assembled in that spot and sung their loud- 

 est, they could not have been heard above 

 the awful volume of frog-voices. Moreover, 

 not a note of the olive-back had been heard 

 near the house. 



When I laid my head on the pillow that 

 night with three staring, shadeless windows 

 open to the lightning, I decided that it would 

 not do. I could stand the loneliness in 

 fact, I liked that ; I might endure the frogs ; 

 it would not be impossible to console myself 

 for the absence of the bird ; I could prob- 

 ably live through a nightly thunder-storm 



