olo 



Friday, October 8, 1858. 



Field Meeting at Essex. This was a cool but rather 

 pleasant day for the season of the year. The excursion par- 

 ty was not so large as had been known on other occasions, 

 but there was an earnestness that was commendable. The 

 train leaving Salem at a quarter past eight A. M. was ren- 

 dered available to transport tliose, who wished for its accom- 

 modation, and the town of Manchester being soon reached, 

 a pleasant walk through the woods, by the public road to 

 Essex was made at once. Others availed themselves of the 

 advantages of a stage coach of ample dimensions waiting for 

 freight. Scarcely any other road for a summer's drive can 

 be found more pleasant, and the forest trees on either side 

 are beautiful at all seasons of the year. The splendid shades 

 of autumn are contrasted by the tender greens of spring, 

 and the intermingled evergreen of winter. In these woods 

 too dwell the most fairy forms of flowers, Linnsea with its 

 twin blossoms hung upon one stem, Cornus with snowy in- 

 florescence and other beauties of the circling year. In these 

 shaded retreats Oakes loved to ramble, in quest of rare 

 flowers or rarer insects. We remember a day spent with 

 him, sweeping with his net the flowering shrubs for gauzy 

 winged Sphinges and other kindred flies. October's mellow- 

 er tints were all that now were left, and the witch hazel 

 threw its golden blazoned bannered branches to the autum- 

 nal breeze, to relieve the pervading tone of color of the fall- 

 ing foliage. 



The head quarters for the day were in the basement story 

 of the North Church, which was generously tendered for the 

 occasion. Several ladies of Essex were very busy in prepar- 

 ing comforts for their guests, and, while these operations 

 were progressing, many of the party strolled away to various 

 places of interest. At one o'clock, P. M., and after dispatch- 

 ing the sundry viands, the meeting was called to order in 

 the meeting-house, by John L. Russell taking the Chair. 



ESSEX INST. PROCEED. VOL. ii. 40. 



