62 
RURAL HOURS. 
with its pendant white blossoms. There is a tree in Savoy, called 
there, the amelanchier, near of kin to this of ours. The poplar, 
or poppels as the country people call them, are already half- 
leaved. How rapid is the advance of spring at this moment of 
her joyous approach ! And how beautiful are all the plants in 
their graceful growth, the humblest herb unfolding its every leaf 
in beauty, full of purpose and power ! 
Saw a httle blue butterfly on the highway. Gathered a fine 
bu.nch of pink ground laurel, unusually large and fragrant , they 
have quite out-lasted the squirrel-cups, which are withered. Saw 
a fine maroon moose-flower — its three-leaved blossom as large 
as a tulip — the darkest and largest of our early spring flowers. 
Saturday, 6th. — Warm, soft day. The birds are in an ecstasy, 
Goldfinches, orioles, and blue-birds enliven the budding trees 
with their fine voices and gay plumage ; wrens and song-sparrows 
are hopping and singing about the shrubbery ; robins and chip- 
ping-birds hardly move out of your way on the grass and gravel, 
and scores of swallows are twittering in the air, more active, more 
chatty than ever ; — all busy, all happy, all at this season more or 
less musical. Birds who scarcely sing, have a peculiar cry, 
heard much more clearly and frequently at this season, than any 
other ; — the twittering of the swallows, for instance, and the pro- 
longed chirrup of the chipping-bird, so like that of the locust, 
when heard from the trees. The little creatures always enjoy a 
fine day extremely, but with more zest during this their honeymoon, 
than at any other season. Our summer company have noAV all 
arrived, or, rather, our runaways have come back ; for it is plea- 
sant to remember that these are really at home here, born and 
raised, as the Kentuckians say, in these groves, and now have 
