cHap.1x A NATURAL NEW ENGLANDER 261 
leaves and look at you with eyes so full of sur- 
prised innocence that you haven’t the heart to 
scare him by even a loud word. 
Sometimes folks insist upon a closer acquaint- 
ance, and, capturing a young one, take him into 
the house. Then the woodchuck does his best to 
please, and makes a delightful pet, cleanly, teach- 
able, and not too much inclined to mischief. 
But even a young woodchuck has to settle down 
and be serious after a while; and his way is to 
begin by falling in love. This is as easy as falling 
off a log, and is not the serious part. I shall not 
pry into the secrets of the rustic courtship, what 
time the trembling swain invites his shy friend to 
the summer-garden of mint and plantain at the 
edge of the orchard; or when, surprised by canine 
brigands, he gallantly pushes her behind him into 
a cave or refuge beneath the old apple roots and, 
facing the foe, clashes his teeth in fierce defiance 
until the vagrom dogs retire; nor, least of all, 
shall we follow the enamoured two as they steal 
side by side across the midnight meadow, passing 
from moonlight to shadow and back into moon- 
light again, as lovers must, parting the fragrant 
blossoms, nibbling here a tidbit, and taking there a 
sip of dew, then hurrying homeward as the golden 
crescent hangs in the tree-tops, alarmed at the 
lateness they had forgotten. 
Now life begins as much in earnest as it is pos- 
sible for a pair of woodchucks to know. This 
