DEW AND FXOST. 



the blighted leaves and drooping blossoms may 

 well be overlooked. No sounds are muffled ; 

 the faintest chirping of a distant bird falls sharply 

 on the ear. The loose bark of the nut trees 

 snaps and crackles at the squirrel's touch, and 

 not a tiny twig breaks in the timid rabbit's path 

 but we plainly hear it. The languor that held 

 spellbound the woods and fields fled with the 

 coming of that "killing frost." Well can we 

 spare the daintier bloom of summer, seeing how 

 great a train of blessings follows in the wake of 

 frost. 



There is a widespread impression that ani- 

 mal life is affected almost to the same extent as 

 vegetation by these so-called killing frosts. This 

 is not true. Insects are benumbed by it, but re- 

 cover before noon. Frogs and salamanders are 

 silenced and sluggish, but the morning sun 

 renews their vigor ; and who ever heard of a 

 frostbitten bird ? On the contrary, scarcely an 

 hour after the sun rose on October 5th, there were 

 a dozen birds, that, moping and peevish, had 

 petulantly chirped for weeks, and now sang 

 gayly. Later there was an old-time concert in 

 the hillside thicket, even a brown thrush singing 

 half his May-day song. Nature is renewed by 

 a killing frost. It destroys the old to give place 

 to the new ; and this early autumn life that 

 makes glorious October and softens the gloom of 

 16 



