AUTUMN TIDES 



June and July their stalk, and August and 

 September their flower and seed. Hence, 

 when the stalk months are stricken out, as 

 in the present case, there is only time for a 

 shallow root and a foreshortened head. I 

 think most weeds that get a late start show 

 this curtailment of stalk, and this solicitude 

 to reproduce themselves. But I have not 

 observed that any of the cereals are so 

 worldly wise. They have not had to think 

 and shift for themselves as the weeds have. 

 It does indeed look like a kind of forethought 

 in the redroot. It is killed by the first frost, 

 and hence knows the danger of delay. 



How rich in color, before the big show of 

 the tree foliage has commenced, our road- 

 sides are in places in early autumn, — rich 

 to the eye that goes hurriedly by and does 

 not look too closely, — with the profusion of 

 goldenrod and blue and purple asters dashed 

 in upon here and there with the crimson 

 leaves of the dwarf sumac ; and at intervals, 

 rising out of the fence corner or crowning a 

 ledge of rocks, the dark green of the cedars 

 with the still fire of the woodbine at its 

 heart. I wonder if the waysides of other 

 lands present any analogous spectacles at 

 this season. 



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