1 1 6 Clear Skies and Cloudy. 



The twigs and leaves that had passed by re- 

 turned. Very slowly but steadily the waters 

 crept again over the wide reach of barren mud 

 and up the slimy sides of the stumps of trees 

 felled, it may be, centuries ago, stumps that 

 might tell strange stories had they tongues. 

 What a delight to talk to a tree that never saw 

 a white man ! The rain continued ; the sound 

 of the million drops about me was a steady 

 hum that did not deaden other sounds. Far 

 and near were merry-hearted birds that sang 

 sweetly as, like me, they waited for sunshine ; 

 but not even the steady dripping of raindrops 

 is monotonous. A gentle breeze stirs to greater 

 activity, and at times there was a roar like that 

 of the surf of the far-off sea. 



While waiting and watching, I asked myself, 

 how old is this creek ? When did the tide for 

 the first time explore this winding valley ? when 

 did the waters of many sparkling springs first 

 greet the sunshine, and, collecting, wander to- 

 wards the river ? Even if we cannot contemplate 

 the end of all things, we are always curious 

 about their beginnings. "At the close of the 

 Glacial period," glibly replies the geologist ; 



