SEPTEMBER SUNSHINE. 355 



Which are all the guide thej need. As Thoreau has 

 suggested, an elevation that gives a general idea of a 

 river's course or the trend of a mountain range would 

 meet every requirement of a migrating bird. 



Deep in a tangled thicket of greenbrier and black- 

 berry I heard an unusual humming, late this afternoon 

 and, after a good deal of rough climbing, determined 

 the cause. By some happy chance, three years or more 

 ago a peach-stone had fallen in this thicket, sprouted 

 and grown to a tree ; all so quickly that none suspected 

 Its presence. Even the bloom must have been of a 

 quiet color, as no one seems to have seen it. At all 

 events, this unobtrusive tree was now well loaded with 

 rich, yellow peaches, small, but of excellent flavor- and 

 above every peacli were humming bees and wiiirring 

 wasps, that stood guard over the fruit and enjoyed an 

 occasional taste of its sweets. 



At no little risk, but without mishaps, I gathered 

 many peaches, with the righteous intention of taking 

 them home. The line of peach-stones lying in my path 

 tells a sad tale of how those good intentions came to 

 naught. I was eating the last one as I passed througii 

 the yard gate ; but is it not something to my credit that 

 1 eft many more upon the tree, and straightway pub- 

 lished my discovery ? 



The frequent occurrence of the unexpected is an ex- 

 hilarating element in country rambles. I do not believe 

 those peaches would take a prize at a fair, or be popular 

 in the^market, but I hold to the strong adjective "deli- 

 cious." To gather peaches in such a manner is to en- 



