EPISODES 



295 



I recollect that once while in the State of Maine, I 

 passed such a night as I have described. Next morning 

 the face of nature was obscured by the heavy rains that 

 fell in torrents, and my generous host begged me to re- 

 main, in such pressing terms that I was well content to 

 accept his offer. Breakfast over, the business of the day 

 commenced; the spinning-wheels went round, and the 

 boys employed themselves, one in searching for knowl- 

 edge, another in attempting to solve some ticklish arith- 

 metical problem. In a corner lay the dogs, dreaming of 

 plunder, while close to the ashes stood grimalkin, seriously 

 purring in concert with the wheels. The hunter and I 

 seated ourselves each on a stool, while the matron looked 

 after her domestic arrangements. 



"Puss," quoth the dame, "get away; you told me last 

 night of this day's rain, and I fear you may now give us 

 worse news with tricky paws." Puss accordingly went off, 

 leaped on a bed, and rolling herself in a ball, composed 

 herself for a comfortable nap. I asked the husband what 

 his wife meant by what she had just said. " The good 

 woman," said he, " has some curious notions at times, 

 and she believes, I think, in the ways of animals of all 

 kinds. Now, her talk to the cat refers to the fires of the 

 woods around us, and although they have happened long 

 ago, she fears them quite as much as ever, and, indeed, she 

 and I and all of us have good reason to dread them, as 

 they have brought us many calamities." Having read of 

 the great fires to which my host alluded, and frequently 

 observed with sorrow the mournful state of the forests, I 

 felt anxious to know something of the causes by which 

 these direful effects had been produced. I therefore re- 

 quested him to give me an account of the events resulting 

 from those fires which he had witnessed. Willingly he, 

 at once went on, nearly as follows : — 



" About twenty-five years ago the larch, or hackmatack, 

 trees were nearly all killed by insects. This took place in 



