TO A TRESPASS SIGN 



the crystal foam bells, or bearing the 

 heavy burden of my grandsire's rusty 

 flint-lock, I stalked the wily grouse in 

 the diurnal twilight of these thickets. 



Here was I thrilled by the capture of 

 my first trout ; here exulted over the 

 downfall of my first woodcock; here, 

 grown to man's estate, I learned to cast 

 the fly ; here beheld my first dog draw 

 on his game, and here, year after year, 

 till my locks have grown gray, have I 

 come, sharp set with months of longing, 

 to live again for a little while the care- 

 free days of youth. 



Never have I been bidden to depart 

 but by storm or nightfall or satiety, until 

 now thou confrontest me with thy impu- 

 dent mandate, thou, thou contemptible, 

 but yet not to be despised nor unheeded 

 parallelogram of painted deal, with thy 

 legal phrases and impending penalties ; 

 thou, the silent yet terribly impressive 

 representative of men whose purses are 

 longer than mine ! 



What is their right to this stream, these 

 woods, compared with mine .-* Theirs 

 is only gained by purchase, confirmed by 

 scrawled parchment, signed and sealed; 



85 



