1892
June 21
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]A June after-
noon on the
river (written
in my canoe)[/margin]
Mass.
Concord.- 5 P.M. Lou Davis's Hill – Sitting in my canoe
writing these lines in the shade the sun having sunk behind the
tops of the pines to the W. Great sulphurous, white
clouds floating in a pale blue sky. The foliage of the white
maples along the river & the edges of the meadow tossing
in the wind looking thin & dishevelled & showing the
whitish under surfaces of the leaves. About the canoe
the water is covered thickly with the floating leaves of the
pond lily, floating heart, Marsellia & the large-leaved
Polygonum. Further inshore rise the erect stems of
Pondenteria[sic: should be Pondeteria] each bearing at its top the single large, lance-
shaped, oily green leaf. They form a fine belt of green
along the margin of the placid stream. Still further
in, masking the beginning of the real land, are young
maples, willows, alders and birches overrun with grape vines
and green briars with here & there a tuft of cinnamon
ferns and one large cluster of wild roses in full bloom.
Behind & above this lower wall of diversified but generally
tender green foliage rise the somber pines & tall old
oaks for which the hill is famous.
  A Pine Warbler is singing in the pines, a Veery, Cat-
bird, Chestnut-sided Warbler and Maryland Yellow-throat
in the thickets near the water. From across the river
come the rich gùrgle-èee or pèr-dle-èe of the Red-wing
and further off rises the tinkling melody of the
Bobolink. Now I hear a Robin singing and next
a Grosbeak. A Wood Pewee gives a low, sad pee-e-e
among the pines. Now a Black-billed Cuckoo in the
extreme distance & a Song Sparrow near at hand.
The fine bass voice of the Bull Frog rolls out over
the water from his reedy court at frequent intervals
[margin]Song of the
Red-wing[/margin]