2i8 OLD PLYMOUTH TRAILS 



killing frosts of late autumn and the ice and snow 

 of winter ; I find them as green and as hearty in 

 December as 1 do now. 



Next to the tender ferns it is the woody un- 

 dergrowth that recognizes the season first. 

 Long ago some limb of a red maple growing in 

 the shade has been seen to flare up with a sudden 

 flame while else all the wood was green. But 

 this in itself is no sign. This happens here and 

 there in low ground even in very early summer. 

 Now, however, it is not only here and there but 

 everywhere that you will find this occasional limb 

 adding scarlet beauty to the sombre shade of the 

 deep wood, and as your glance passes from the 

 cool pale ferns to this it slips on and finds color 

 growing on many things in the woodland shadow. 

 Here is the cornel, whose lovely blooms filled the 

 forest with butterfly beauty, it seems no longer 

 ago than yesterday. Today I find the cornel foli- 

 age green still as to midrib and veining, but with 

 the woof of the leaf gone such a fine apple red 

 •that it is surely good enough to eat. If color 

 counts the deer should find rich browse in the 

 shrubbery these days. The hazels that were so 

 green are suddenly a ripe brown that is all warm 

 with red tones, and where the summac grows 



