52 WINTER 



than the trail of some animal like the 'possum or the 

 mink or the fox. To go in with one of these through 

 the woods-door is to find yourself at home. Any one 

 can manage to get inside the woods, as the grocery 

 boy or the census man manages to get inside our 

 houses. You can bolt in at any time on business. 

 But a trail, remember, is Nature's invitation. Go 

 softly in with 'possum, or rabbit, or coon, and at the 

 threshold of the trees you will be met by the Spirit 

 of the Woods you will be made a guest in this 

 secret, shadowy house of the out-of-doors. 



But do not fail first to break bread with the 

 'possum. A persimmon, or a handful of wintergreen 

 berries, or a nip of sassafras root, or a piece of spruce 

 gum, or a lump of liquid amber share anything, 

 take any small part in the life of these who live wild 

 in the woods, and they will meet you at the thresh- 

 old and make you more than welcome. 



I went in with the 'possum. He had traveled 

 home leisurely and without fear, as his tracks plainly 

 showed. He was full of persimmons. A good happy 

 world this, where such fare could be had for the 

 picking ! What need to hurry home ? Unless, indeed, 

 one were in danger of falling asleep by the way ! So I 

 thought, too, as I followed his winding path ; and if 

 I was tracking him to his den, it was only to wake 

 him for a moment with the compliments of the 

 season. But when I finally found him in his hollow 

 gum, he was so sound asleep he barely knew that 



