256 Clear Skies and Cloudy. 



thrush's evening song heard upon the upland 

 lawn may seem the climax of kind Nature's 

 melody ; but wander at this time to the nearest 

 woodland tract ; rest by the trunks of majestic 

 time-honored beeches, known as " the Three 

 Beeches" so long ago as 1689, where the shade 

 at noontide is scarcely less sombre than the 

 shadows of night, and hear this same song of 

 the evening thrush, or listen to the rosebreast 

 as he breathes his love strain to his hidden 

 mate ; yes, hear even the* forest peewee or the 

 dream song of a sparrow, and there will be re- 

 vealed to you what magic, that spurs to full 

 activity our every sense, lies in the dim but 

 searching light of deep, dark woods. 



I suppose the woods in winter figure more 

 in literature than in the actual experiences of 

 readers. These same woods are just as deep, 

 but not so dark, during the pleasant days of 

 January, and particularly after a deep snow. 

 The arctic conditions are now all underfoot or 

 immediately about us, and a thoroughly cheer- 

 ful, if not exactly summery, condition overhead. 

 Certainly there is no suggestion of gloom Tar- 

 tarian which few can rid of hobgoblins ; this is 



