24 WOODLAND IDYLS. 



are full of the gruesome imaginings of the pes- 

 simists of three score years and more ago. Well 

 told they are, yet teaching little. The " unpar- 

 donable sin" of Ethan Brand is committed this 

 day and age by hundreds of men in the great 

 cities '"the sin of an intellect that triumphs 

 over the sense of brotherhood with man and 

 reverence for God and sacrifices everything to 

 its own mighty claims." And yet at the close 

 of their careers many of these city pirates 

 would also doubtless exclaim: "Freely were it 

 to do again would I incur the guilt. Unshrink- 

 ingly I accept the retribution." How wonder- 

 ful this art of letters that brings to me here in 

 the wilderness the best thoughts of great au- 

 thors, for half a century dead and gone! 



While going after my evening pail of water 

 I heard a rattling in the bottom of the bucket, 

 and looking down found that a large click beetle 

 had in some way fallen in on his back and was 

 endeavoring to turn over in his usual fashion. 

 I gave him a toss to freedom as did I also, la,ter 

 on, the grasshopper that leaped into the water 

 which I was carrying back. 



The first katydid at 7:17, while the glow 

 of the sunset was yet prominent in the west. 

 Midges, mosquitoes, gnats and chiggers blot 

 them from existence and how much the pleas- 

 ure of an outing in August time would be en- 

 hanced ! 



