40 



Travels in a Tree-top 



world's past history, the glacial epoch, or 

 great ice age. The gravel was no longer an 

 unsuggestive accumulation of pebbles, but 

 associated rolled and water-worn fragments 

 of a hundred different rocks that by the 

 mighty forces of ice and water had been 

 brought to their present position from re- 

 gions far away. 



The ravine ended at the meadows, through 

 which the waters passed with unobstrufted 

 flow to join the brimming river." As we 

 stood upon the bank of the mighty stream I 

 remarked, This is a stupid country, per- 

 haps, but it has some merits." I think the 

 boy thought so, too. 



The meadows are such a comprehensive 

 place that no one knows where to begin, if 

 the attempt is made to enumerate their feat- 

 ures. There is such a blending of dry land 

 and wet, open and thicket-grown, hedge and 

 brook and scattered trees, that it is bewilder- 

 ing if you do not choose some one point 

 for close inspeftion. From the tree-top I 

 overlook it all, and try in vain to determine 

 whether the azure strip of flowering iris or 

 the flaunting crimson of the Turk's cap lilies 



