The Chorus of the Forest 



sky, so that the whole was a soft, hlue-gray green, 

 the most exquisite sight imaginable. All thought 

 of the world outside vanished. The heart flooded 

 with awe, adoration, and a great and holy peace. 

 Here is the world's most beautiful Cathedral, 

 where the unsurpassed tree-harps accompany the 

 singers in nature's grandest anthem. This is the 

 abiding-place of the Almighty in the forest. 



When \ye dared linger no longer and attempted 

 to reach certain trees superb above their fellows, 

 we fovmd that a path must be cut before us for 

 long distances, and then at times, for no appar- 

 ent reason, we came into open spaces underfoot 

 and thinner branching overhead. These were 

 bro\\'n and gray-carpeted with the heaped dead 

 leaves of many seasons, and glorified with flower 

 color, but there were no grasses. It was in places 

 such as these that the joy song of the human heart 

 drowned all other music. On the rich brown floor, 

 against the misty gray-green background, flashed 

 the pale yellow of false foxglove, the loveliest and 

 the typical flower of the forest. 



The tall, smooth stems were high as my head, 

 the leaves sparse and tender, the bloom large and The 

 profuse, and of warm shades of light-yellow im- ^'"p^^^^ 

 possible to describe, because they vary with age. wear 

 The buds are a pure warm yellow, the flower cow- 

 slip color on the first day, creamy white on the 

 second, the fallen blooms showering the dark floor 



43 



