50 WOODLAND IDYLS. 



and Absal." A pleasing tale it is with a most 

 excellent ending viz., "The truth God only 

 knows." And only He ever will know for, as 

 old Omar says: "I came like water and like 

 wind I go." Pantheism unadorned. 



Saturday, August 8. The morning star for- 

 ever shines but few are the eyes that see it. The 

 great majority of people do not arise soon 

 enough. The greater number of those that do, 

 cast not their eyes skyward in search of stars 

 but earthward in search of things more gross. 

 Most brilliant is that star when at 4:25 this 

 morn it glows down upon me with its borrowed 

 light. The great bowl is beclouded only here 

 and there about its rim, as though some one had 

 attempted to scour it and left a few spots of 

 grime. 



This morn I change my schedule and instead 

 of preparing breakfast at once I make my way 

 to the wild cherry tree where the squirrels go in 

 search of fruit. They are early risers and 

 though I have been reaching the tree by six 

 o'clock I think perchance they have been there 

 before me. I find I am too early for the birds 

 even, for not till I have been seated ten minutes 

 does a robin fly into the lower branches. These 

 wild black cherries, 17 when fully ripe, have a 

 large seed but between it and the skin there is 



l7 Prunus serotina Ehr. 



