182 With Rod and Gun in New England 



is 



We found the Judge had thrown aside his book and was busily en- 

 gaged in preparing one of the appetizing suppers for which he was famous. 

 It is not necessary here to give the menu in detail ; suffice it to say it was 

 enjoyable from start to finish, and we lingered at our primitive table until 

 the sun sank below the horizon. 



A portion of the evening was devoted to arranging and packing some 

 of our belongings, for on the next morning we were to begin the descent of 

 the river. 



" I regret leaving this delightful spot," said the Judge, " for some of the 

 pleasantest hours of my life have been passed here. Of course we can- 

 not relapse into barbarism, as the Doctor said the other evening, but to 

 renew the restraints of civilization, the social conventionalities and insin- 

 cerities is always distasteful to me." 



" I feel as you do, Judge," responded the Doctor, " but it is because we 

 love Nature more, and man's society less; we love her many beauties, her 

 changes, and always entrancing moods, and hate to part with them ; 

 but we would not fancy becoming hermits in these solitudes ; we are not 

 constituted in that way. We like the companionship of congenial spirits, 

 and in these glorious summer days in which the breezes are redolent of the 

 odors of thousands of wild Mowers, and of the balsam, and fir and pine, 

 days in which we have no other care or anxieties than those of the angler, 

 we are satisfied to remain in these conditions indefinitely; but when the 

 wintry blasts howl through the trees, and the lakes and rivers are covered 

 with ice and the forest is filled with snow, ah, then we would feel like 

 returning to the comforts, the luxuries of civilized life." 



" What you say, Doc, is true in the abstract," said I, " but I have passed 

 many weeks in the woods in the winter, and the memories of them which 

 are often awakened are among the pleasantest of my life. We do not like 

 the cold, we do not like discomfort, we do not like the snow when we have 

 to plod through it for many weary miles ; but still one may find pleasure 

 even in such environment. It is never so cold but that one can keep warm 

 with a rousing camp fire and thick blankets ; and the snow, in addition to 

 its many beauties in the woods, its fleecy mantle clothing the trees with 

 fairy-like and sometimes exquisite vestments, often affords a refuge and 

 shelter from the icy blasts which could not otherwise be obtained." f 



same frightful manner. Hence his avidity to destroy the wretch, and thus 

 avert the impending calamity. Future observations must determine 

 whether this conjecture is correct. We fervently hope that the sportsman 

 or other person who next witnesses a squirrel overpowered by its fellows in 

 the manner stated, will kill that squirrel, and let the world know whether 

 he does or does not find in it one of these grubs. If a grub is discovered, 

 no doubt can remain as to the object of the other squirrels in making the 

 attack which they do." 



t The following extract from an article in the Boston Herald is very 

 interesting in this connection. — E. A. S. 



