May SHow^ers 139 



curiosity I might arouse in the neighborhood. On- 

 ward I trudged another mile or two, up through the 

 pastures, across the old Welch Farm, following the 

 grass-grown road that originally led from Mount CEta 

 to the valley of the Hoosac, during Revolutionary days. 



I had been out about four hours, and it was time I 

 sought shelter, since I had waded through the tall 

 grasses and bushes, regardless of the rain upon their 

 leaves. Once in the house, I realized the comfort of 

 possessing warm, dry garments. 



On May 23d I made a journey to Rattlesnake 

 Swamp. Arbutus was still in blossom near the hem- 

 locks, — late clusters, indeed, hiding in the moss at the 

 feet of small spruces, where the ice and snow had 

 lingered latest. 



The children in District Fourteen delight in sur- 

 prising me with strange flowers. Among these I 

 frequently find rare species of plants to name and 

 identify for them. A delicate spray of the Purple- 

 Flowered Clematis was brought to me recently. This 

 vine is rare hereabout, growing only in rocky woods 

 about the Rabbit Plain, and along the Gulf Road of 

 Witch Hollow. 



Children in the country districts are the first nature 

 students in spring. In May and June the woods and 

 fields become veritable classrooms in which Nature 

 alone presides as instructor. A dense oak and pine 

 forest formerly sheltered the vale near the schoolhouse, 

 where the children seldom dared to wander without 

 their teacher. The wood was dark and full of the 



