ACCORDING TO SEASON 



Unreason- 

 ing horror 



Gold and 

 purple 



Insect 

 chorus 



I wonder if education could secure one against 

 the vague unreasoning horror with which certain 

 grewsome-looking creatures always inspire one. 

 This horror does not arise altogether from fear of 

 any actual physical harm. One fears a ferocious 

 bull, yet it is doubtful if the thought of the great 

 beast fills him with the sort of shrinking terror 

 which is aroused by the mere memory of other 

 comparatively harmless creatures. Yet where 

 actually repellent objects are concerned, I doubt 

 if it would be possible to plant in even young and 

 unprejudiced minds the desirable sense of kinship 

 with all living things. 



It is the last week of August. The meadow is 

 putting on its dress of gold and purple, the red- 

 gold of the pendants of the jewel-weed, the yel- 

 low-gold of the golden-rod, the blue-purples of 

 the asters, the pinker shades of the sea-side ger- 

 ardia, the lavender of the bell-like flower-heads of 

 the lion's foot, and the varied purples of the blos- 

 soming grasses, now more luxuriant than ever. 



The bird-voices grow daily more rare. An oc- 

 casional song-sparrow makes a hoarse effort, but 

 is less successful than are the myriad insects, the 

 crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers. These fill the 

 air with a droning, soothing chorus that blends 

 with the low roar of the sea beyond the distant 

 sand-hills. 



22 



