Concord, Mass
1902.
Nov. 4 
(No 2)
  About 8 o'clock this morning I witnessed a remarkable
phenomenon. I was on my way to Ball's Hill and had
just passed Benson's house when I noticed that his pasture 
was almost as white as if covered with snow. For an instant
I thought of hoar frost but although there had a heavy
white frost at daybreak it had melted everywhere before I
left the farm. On reaching the pasture and walking out into
it I found that the closely-cropped grass was everywhere
overspread with spiders webs and that these, thickly coated
with dew or rather melted hoar frost, gave the field its
rather wintry aspect. Thus far I had been advancing nearly
towards the sun but happening to turn in the opposite 
direction what was my astonishment and delight to
perceive a rain-bow starting at my feet or rather about
a yard to the left of them and extending, on the surface
of the ground, entirely across the field, curving gently to
the left. It differed in no way from the rainbows
one sees in the heavens save that its colors were all
slightly duller or more subdued and overlaid, apparently,
by a sheen or polish which was sufficiently bright
to somewhat dazzle my eyes. The width of the
belt of colors near my feet was about fifteen inches
and this was evenly maintained quite across the
field. As I moved forward towards the east the bow
of course moved with me but its base was ever
about three feet to the rear (ie westward) of where I
stood. The sun all the while was shining brightly
but through a very slight, steam-like mist which
overspread the landscape.
A rainbow on the surface of the ground
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