AUTUMN. 
Friday, September IsL — -Glorious night. The moon rose early 
in the evening, with unusual splendor, ascending into a cloudless 
sky, with a brilliancy and power in her light quite remarkable. 
The stars were all pale and dim. The blue of the sky and the 
green of the trees were clearly seen ; even the character of the 
foliage on the different trees was plainly marked. The lake and 
hills might have been almost as well known to a stranger as by 
day. The whole village was like a brilliantly-lighted room ; one 
knew their acquaintances in the street, and could distinguish their 
different dresses. Within doors, the moonbeams poured a flood 
of silvery light through the windows ; lamps and candles seemed 
needless ; one could- go all about the house without their assist- 
ance, and we read both letters and papers with ease. 
The frogs were singing in full chorus, and the insect world was 
wide awake, humming in every field. It seemed really a shame 
to close one's eyes upon such a night. Indeed, there was nothing 
this evening of the calm, still, dreamy character of common moon- 
light, but rather an animating, exciting power in the fullness of 
light, which seemed to rival the influence of the busy day. 
Saturday, 2d. — Saw a few barn-swallows about a farm-yard, 
some miles from the village. The chimney-swallows have not 
yet disappeared. The goldfinches are scouring the fields and 
