Hn tbe MooDs wttb tbe :fiSow 



not touch a feather ; but the deHght of it 

 still haunts me. 



Two miles of a walk over the hill, to 

 avoid a roundabout wagon-drive of thir- 

 teen, proved exhilarating. Half the way 

 I soared, by a winding, desultory path, 

 and perched myself on a scarred and 

 splintered rock, where I ate my luncheon 

 of corn-bread and ham. It was a dry, 

 bald spot overlooking a fair valley, deep 

 in the midst of which the little homestead 

 of Mr. Jarvis seemed to slumber while I 

 gazed. Just below me the forest was 

 stunted and thin ; but farther down a great 

 show of greenery, with upHfted masses of 

 variegated tree-tops, increased until the 

 little river in the emerald trough could be 

 seen only here and there shining up with 

 great allurement. 



When presently I began to swoop down 

 the fell, there came up to meet me a flick- 

 er's merry call and the voice of a Balti- 

 more oriole. The breeze, too, seemed 

 puffing fragrantly slantwise toward the sky 

 from out the depth of the valley. Soon 

 enough I was under superb arches of oak, 

 215 



