REFLECTIONS. 



THERE is no jesting in nature ; she may seem glad or 

 sad, but she is earnest. A trifling man in the field 

 cannot fool the crickets; and yet there is much 

 misrepresentation in nature. I see the hickory trees turn 

 yellow and brown in Autumn ; they would have me believe 

 that they didn't bear any fruit this year. God's creatures 

 often appear to one another what they are not — they are 

 tricky. Harmless snakes mimic poisonous ones, the sem- 

 blance of many moth to yellow leaves is striking ; white 

 spiders inhabit white flowers, and yellow spiders occur on 

 yellow ones. Thus they escape their enemies, or prove the 

 hidden enemies of others. The operations of nature are 

 akin to those of Wall Street. When we walk in the woods 

 we cannot be sure of what we see, so much is done for 

 appearance sake alone, the truth is hidden mid a pageant 

 of bright petals. Circe is ever abroad, and the milk-weeds 

 lure flies and bees and hold them captive till they die. 



Any action that is possible is permissible in nature; she 

 even tolerates murder. Let those who can, do, is the 

 motto in the fields. The crimes that a lone man may 

 commit in the woods, or on the sea shore know no law, 



