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316 



AUDUBON 



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all its richness and beauty. My ears were greeted by the 

 notes, always sweet and mellow, of the Wood Thrush and 

 other songsters. Before I had gone many steps, the woods 

 echoed to the report of my gun, and I picked from among 

 the leaves a lovely Sylvia,' long sought for, but until then 

 sought for in vain. I needed no more, and standing still 

 for a while, I was soon convinced that the Great I'ine 

 Swamp harbored many other objects as valuable to me. 



The young man joined me, bearing his rifle, and offered 

 to accompany me through the woods, all of which he well 

 knew. But I was anxious to transfer to paper the form 

 and beauty of the little bird I had in my hand ; and re- 

 questing him to break a twig of blooming laurel, we returned 

 to the house, speaking of nothing else than the picturesque 

 beauty of the country around. 



A few days passed, during which I became acquainted 

 with my hostess and her sweet children, and made occa- 

 sional rambles, but spent the greater portion of my time 

 in drawing. One morning, as I stood near the window of 

 my room, I remarked a tall and powerful man alight froiTi 

 his horse, loose the girth of the saddle, raise the latter with 

 one hand, pass the bridle over the head of the animal with 

 the other, and move towards the house, while the horse be- 

 took himself to the little brook to drink. I heard some 

 movements in the room below, and again the same tall 

 person walked towards the mill and stores, a few hun- 

 dred yards from the house. In America business is the 

 first object in view at all times, and right it is that it 

 should be so. Soon after my hostess entered my room, 

 accompanied by the fine-looking woodsman, to whom, as 

 Mr. Jediah Irish, I was introduced. Reader, to describe 

 to you the qualities of that excellent man were vain ; you 

 should know him, as I do, to estimate the value of such men 

 in our sequestered forests. He not only made me welcome, 

 but promised all his assistance in forwarding my views. 



* Sylvia parus, Hemlock Warbler; Ornith. Biog. vol. ii. page 205. 



