XXV 



AUGUST DAYS 



WITH such unmistakable signs made 

 manifest to the eye and ear the summer 

 signals its fullness and decline, that one 

 awakening now from a sleep that fell 

 upon him months ago might be assured 

 of the season with the first touch of 

 awakening. 



To the first aroused sense comes the 

 long-drawn cry of the locust fading into 

 silence with the dry, husky clap of his 

 wings ; the changed voice of the song 

 birds, no more caroling the jocund tunes 

 of mating and nesting time, but plaintive 

 with the sadness of farewell. 



The bobolink has lost, with his pied 

 coat, the merry lilt that tinkled so con- 

 tinually over the buttercups and daisies 

 of the June meadows ; rarely the song 

 sparrow utters the trill that cheered us 

 in the doubtful days of early spring. 

 The bluebird's abbreviated carol floats 

 "3 



