BIRCH BROWSINGS. 209 



prowl through these woods had left this fine tract 

 untouched. Beyond this the forest was mostly birch 

 and maple. 



"We were now close to the settlement, and began 

 to hear human sounds. One rod more, and we were 

 out of the woods. It took us a moment to compre- 

 hend the scene. Things looked very strange at first ; 

 but quickly they began to change and to put on fa- 

 miliar features. Some magic scene-shifting seemed 

 to take place before my eyes, till, instead of the un- 

 known settlement which I at first seemed to look 

 upon there stood the farm-house at which we had 

 stopped two days before, and at the same moment we 

 heard the stamping of our team in the barn. We 

 sat down and laughed heartily over our good luck. 

 Our desperate venture had resulted better than we 

 had dared to hope, and had shamed our wisest plans. 

 At the house our arrival had been anticipated about 

 this time, and dinner was being put upon the table. 



It was then five o'clock, so that we had been in the 

 woods just forty-eight hours ; but if time is only 

 phenomenal, as the philosophers say, and life only in 

 feeling, as the poets aver, we were some months, if 

 not years, older at that moment than we had been 

 two days before. Yet younger too, though this be 

 a paradox, for the birches had infused into us some 

 of their own suppleness and strength. 

 14 



