An April Day Dream 15 



than that of this old spring-house brook. It 

 was the first " wild" water I had ever seen. 

 Has this to do with it ? In its shallows, I 

 saw for the first time living fishes; on the 

 damp and mossy stones near its edge stood 

 and stared bright-barred and spotted sala- 

 manders, that fled in terror from my extended 

 hand ; there, too, squatted the pretty leopard- 

 frog, that leaped beyond my reach as I ap- 

 proached. It is not strange that I have seen 

 no brook since that sparkled like this one. A 

 full half-century has not dimmed its bright- 

 ness in my fancy, and the place is as I first 

 saw it when I close my eyes and stand be- 

 neath the drooping elm and stately maples 

 that now mark the spot, from which, save 

 the brook, every old-time feature has been 

 removed. 



While basking in the April sunshine, as I 

 recall the old spring-house to-day, the out- 

 standing glory of the place was the visit of a 

 gentle swallow that came quite near me and 

 gathered at the water's edge a little pellet of 

 damp earth for the nest it was building. 

 What a marvel of beauty was that barn swal- 

 low to my childish eyes ! and the bird is just 

 as beautiful to-day. Swallows at all dms 



