ADIEONDAC. 99 



Those who lodge with Nature find early rising 

 quite in order. It is our voluptuous beds, and isola- 

 tion from the earth and the air, that prevents us from 

 emulating the birds and beasts in this respect With 

 the citizen in his chamber, it is not morning, but 

 breakfast-time. The camper-out, however, feels morn- 

 ing in the air, he smells it, sees it, hears it, and springs 

 up with the general awakening. None were tardy at 

 the row of white chips arranged on the trunk of a 

 prostrate tree, when breakfast was halloed; for we 

 were all anxious to try the venison. Few of us, how- 

 ever, took a second piece. It was black and strong. 



The day was warm and calm, and we loafed at lei- 

 sure. The woods were Nature's own. It was a lux- 

 ury to ramble through them, rank, and shaggy, and 

 venerable, but with an aspect singularly ripe and mel- 

 low. No fire had consumed and no lumberman plun- 

 dered. Every trunk and limb and leaf lay where 

 it had fallen. At every step the foot sank into the 

 moss, which, like a soft green snow, covered every- 

 thing, making every stone a cushion and every rock 

 a bed, a grand old Norse parlor ; adorned beyond 

 art and upholstered beyond skill. 



Indulging in a brief nap on a rug of club-moss care- 

 lessly dropped at the foot of a pine-tree, I woke up to 

 find myself the subject of a discussion of a troop of 

 chickadees. Presently three or four shy wood- war- 

 blers came to look upon this strange creature that had 

 wandered into their haunts ; else I passed quite un- 

 Qoticed. 



