AT NATURAL BRIDGE 281 



more of young men. They were just up from 

 the railway station, and were deep in a dis- 

 cussion of ways and means, — tickets, lunch- 

 eons, and time-tables. Then, in a momen- 

 tary lull in the talk, I heard a quiet voice 

 say, "Sedum." They were a company of 

 Johns Hopkins men out upon a geological 

 trip. So I learned at noon when we met at 

 the railway station ; and a pleasant botanical 

 hour I had with one or two of them as we 

 rode northward. Now, on the piazza, tliey 

 did not tarry long ; time was precious to 

 them also ; and as soon as they had gone 

 down to the bridge I set off in the opposite 

 direction. My final ramble was to be to 

 Lincoln Heights, to see once more that 

 magnificent avenue of trees and that beauti- 

 ful mountain prospect. The cerulean war- 

 bler was singing as usual, but there \vas no 

 sign of his mate, though I could not do less 

 than to wait a little while by the grapevine 

 thicket in a vain hope of her ap})earance. 

 Here, as in the ravine, I had not yet seen 

 everything. Straight before me stood a locust 

 tree, every branch hung with long, fragrant 

 white clusters. I had overlooked it com- 

 pletely till now. If I learned nothing else 



