liEVEIilES. 21 



Walking slowly, tramping wearily, 



He hears the brown thrush, singing cheerily, 



Sitting, flitting, before him all the way, 



Bobbing, peering, singing his roundelay. 



Weary with walking, he wanders in quest 



Of some friendly tree, beneath its shade to rest ; 



Picks off the flowers, holds them in his hand, 



Looks around, sees more, at his command ; 



He hears the rippling of a babbling brook. 



And sees it concealed in a hidden nook. 



The traveller would have passed it by, 



But for its welcoming, gladsome cry. 



Listening to the lark, the robin's matin. 



He sees a flower, dressed in golden satin ; 



Places it with the others, red, pink, and green, 



Says : ''Many a flower is born to blush unseen," 



But this one ; a lady's slipper ; is so rare, 



It shall not, " waste its fragrance on the desert air " 



The waning day bids him he must start. 



Regretfully sighmg, he rises, lingers, then departs. 



In after years, he often recalls these hours. 



Passed with itature, birds, and sweet smelling flowers. 



Who, among his young companions, could imitate the 

 ery of the quail, the duck, the jay, the goose, the crow, 

 better than he ? could send the shaft further, or hit with 

 big headed arrow the penny oftener ? 



And then, when the happy and proud owner of his 

 first gun, a light single-barrel muzzle-loader ! In my 

 imagination, I can see him now, gun in hand, a brass 

 cap box filled with percussion caps in his vest pocket, 

 his coat pockets stuffed with paper for wadding ; around 

 his neck, suspended by a string at his right side, an old 

 vanilla bottle^ filled with powder, while hanging at his 

 left, another bottle half full of shot ; walking first by his 

 side, then behind him, are his comrades, junior in years, 

 his body guard and retrievers. Thus he marched forth 

 on an October day searching for quail. At intervals, 

 imitating the call of the bird by whistling, while occa- 

 sionally, one of his younger companions would laugh out 

 in childish glee, rolling his eyes and opening wide his 

 mouth, while ear-splitting notes issue from his throat, 



