BY MILL- POND AND MEADOW. 175 



store that dulls the sense of regret, however keen : 

 the thought of being homeward bound. It is always 

 worth the day's severest toil to know that home is 

 never beyond reach ; but in order to fully realize 

 what home-coming really means, he who spends his 

 time in studying nature must be able to take with 

 him distinct impressions of what has happened. 

 There must enter no doubt even as to the smallest 

 particulars. At home and at rest, we should appre- 

 ciate more thoroughly and penetrate with keener 

 vision into whatsoever transpired while we loitered 

 about the mill-pond or rambled across the meadows. 



