MIDSUMMER 201 



Tommy thinks the most curious thing about 

 White Sweet Clover is that two of its leaflets close 

 tightly at night and go to sleep, while the third one 

 stays as wide awake as a watchman. Some time he 

 is going to keep awake himself and find out 

 whether it is the same leaflet that watches every 

 night, for unless they take turns it seems very un- 

 fair. 



Tommy's father says that many plants whose 

 leaves are sensitive to cold drop them down, or 

 close them at night, so that they may feel the cool 

 air less than if they held them out flatly. This 

 plan surely keeps Sweet Melilot just as warm and 

 snug as the white woolly hairs do Hepaticas. 



I wish I might watch with Tommy some night 

 to see just how the Sweet Melilot puts Its leaves 

 to sleep. It can't rock them, or sing to them, as 

 people do to children. Only when night comes I 

 am so sleepy myself that I could never keep awake, 

 no matter what funny way It had. If Sallie knew 

 about these leaflets going to sleep I'm sure she 

 would find out the way It Is done. She didn't mind 

 getting up with the birds to go out and see Blood- 

 root. When I answer her letter I will ask her If 

 she knov/s why the White Sweet Clover puts its 

 leaves to sleep. 



Once Tommy went in the woods with his father 

 at night, and he says they looked very different 

 then from the way they do in the daytime. Beauti- 

 ful moths that he had never seen before were fly- 



