PROEM 



firmament, nothing of this had we conceived until 

 taught by our life in the country. How could we 

 guess the wonderful colors of land and sky until we 

 had watched them ourselves through many a changing 

 season? How could we know the marvelous forma- 

 tion of even the humblest weed until we had watched 

 it develop hour by hour and day by day. The extraor- 

 dinary intricacy of animal life was a hidden world to 

 us until revealed by patient, practiced observation. Yes, 

 there lies the secret! "Practiced observation." Eyes 

 trained to see, nostrils sensitive to woodland odors, 

 ears quickened to faintest forest sounds. Not alone 

 the organ notes of the storm, nor the boom of ice- 

 bound lake, nor the melody of wild birds, nor the chat- 

 tering of squirrel and chipmunk; but those frail mur- 

 murs which come to the listening ear, — the rat-tat of 

 the woodpecker in the tree-top, the patter of the 

 squirrel's scramble over the shingles, low twitters from 

 a warbler's nest, the dropping of acorns, the whisper- 

 ing of leaves, the gentle plash on the pebbly beach, the 

 gurgle of leaping fish, the rustle of harmless reptile. 



14 



