836 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



October 19. — The skies, early this morning, were 

 pearly with mist; the ground silvered with frost. The 

 enu barely asserted himself, and the trees cast but uncer- 

 tain shadows over the meadows. It is the third of these 

 magnificent white frosts, and an earnest but not wholly 

 effectual effort of the season to silence the katydids, 

 crickets, frogs, and salamanders. Of course, an over- 

 brave individual, now and then, will pipe his regrets at 

 the death of summer; and in the Indian summer of 

 next month many will chatter " I told you so," thinking 

 spring has come again. These are the deluded creatures 

 that form the laughing-stock of their kind. Probably 

 every class of animals possesses such. 



The third white frost, and now, persimmons are rud- 

 dy, wrinkled, and ripe. It is strange this fruit should 

 have remained so long neglected. To be sure, there is 

 needed some instruction in the art of eating it, but this 

 can readily be obtained by application to the average 

 country boy living in persimmon districts. All that is 

 required, really, is to use your tongue and lips, and keep 

 your teeth out of the way. A wise persimmon eater I 

 once knew took the precaution of placing his teeth in 

 his pocket before commencing operations. The fact is, 

 the fruit resents being bitten, and invariably wrinkles 

 one's mouth into every conceivable shape when treated 

 to a crushing bite. 



That the persimmon is capable of being greatly im- 

 proved and made a valuable fruit has often been re- 

 marked, but no one seems to have started the improving 

 process. I have long since learned, however, that there 



