paraMse Circle 



tops with dream-glories, shimmering softly 

 through the haw-blossom sprays, — a 

 haunting effect,— and the mocking-birds 

 dashed their sparkling fife-music over and 

 under and through it all. I sat down be- 

 neath a liquid amber-tree to nurse my bow 

 and absorb the immanent sweets of bloom, 

 honey-dew, bursting buds, and that wan- 

 dering, elusive something we recognize as 

 woodsy freshness. 



A greenlet came to eye me curiously 

 from a tuft of young leaves, while it did 

 some gymnastics, swinging back-down- 

 ward, balancing its lithe body cleverly in 

 various poses, curving its neck around a 

 twig and peeping sharply under the hidden 

 parts of sprays. Other little insect-hunters 

 were on high in the greater trees, going 

 back and forth through the foliage like 

 shuttles from the hand of an unsteady 

 weaver. And then a flash of vivid red— it 

 was as if a smith had swung a bit of ruby- 

 hot metal from bush to bush — introduced 

 a cardinal grosbeak in full plumage. I 

 started as one does who feels a shock of 

 sudden and unexpected delight. Here 

 51 



