1892
Sept.5
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.
A rare day for even this queen of months, the
sun deliciously warm. the breeze refreshingly cool, the
air as transparent as possible.
  Down river with Mr. Buttrick at 9 a.m. taking the
old family boat and a spoon bait. I rowed while
Mr. Buttrick fished whenever the weeds permitted. A
small pickerel which he caught just above Dakin's Hill
was our only victim.
  We landed first at my cabin for some water and
then continued on to Davis's Hill where we lunched
and examined the trees which were so injured by
the fire. B. agrees with me that most of the finest
pines are ruined. We found two gunners watching
for gray squirrels on this hill. They had killed one and
in their boat we saw a Bittern which they had
slain on their way up river. Thus our most
beautiful and interesting wild creatures destroyed
for the excitement of the moment of two thoughtless
youths!
  After lunch I heard voices on Benson's Knoll and 
neighbors preparing to lunch under a pine with
their horse tied near by and a nervous Irish Setter
galloping about. Not thirty yards away & in plain
sight of this merry & very noisy party the Carolina
Dove was sitting quietly on her nest in the cedar!
  Buttrick & I next rowed up the river a 
little way & crossed the meadow to the Bedford
road where we called at Davis's house & had a
talk with the owner of the hill. He returned
[margin] Dove's nest[/margin]
on investigating found eight or ten of my Concord