TREETOPS IN WINTER 117 



Not now, however, will I undertake a 

 full defense of wild, splendid old winter, 

 although Lowell's "Good Word for Win- 

 ter" is enough to convince any full- 

 hlooded man that such a defense could 

 be made. I wish merely to call attention 

 to one of the "graces of the winter 

 scenery," namely, treetops. Even in sum- 

 mer, treetops are (save in the horse-chest- 

 nut and other trees of lush beauty) the 

 most beautiful tree parts; but, in our 

 climate at least, it is in winter that the 

 treetop reveals its most compelling charm. 

 The reasons for this fact are two. (Per- 

 haps there is a third reason.) In the first 

 place, the climactic significance of the top 

 fully appears only in relation to the whole 

 structure of the tree, and with deciduous 

 trees anyway, the entire wonder of the 

 structure is apparent only in winter. In 

 summer, the foliage more or less hides 

 the fine architectural lines, precisely as 

 epicurean flesh is sure to conceal the fine 

 structural lines of a man's face. Further, 



