A New World 



often breaking; the farmers gathering from far 

 and near, beating down countless thousands of 

 the young and old birds from their nests and 

 roosts with long poles at night, and in the 

 morning driving their bands of hogs, some of 

 them brought from farms a hundred miles 

 distant, to fatten on the dead and wounded 

 covering the ground. 



In another of our reading-lessons some of the 

 American forests were described. The most 

 interesting of the trees to us boys was the sugar 

 maple, and soon after we had learned this sweet 

 story we heard everybody talking about the 

 discovery of gold in the same wonder-filled 

 country. 



One night, when David and I were at grand- 

 father's fireside solemnly learning our lessons 

 as usual, my father came in with news, the 

 most wonderful, most glorious, that wild boys 

 ever heard. "Bairns," he said, "you needna 

 learn your lessons the nicht, for we're gan to 

 America the morn!" No more grammar, but 

 boundless woods full of mysterious good things ; 

 [ 53 1 



