LETTEES FEOM ALABAMA: 
119 
Budded, and shook their green leaves in thy breeze, 
And shot towards heaven. The century-living crow. 
Whose birth was in their tops, grew old and died 
Among their branches, till at last they stood. 
As now they stand, massy and tall and dark, 
Fit shrine for humble worshipper to hold 
Communion with his Maker. These dim vaults, 
These winding aisles, of human pomp or pride 
Report not. No fantastic carvings show 
The boast of our vain race to change the form 
Of thy fair works. But Thou art here — thou fill’st 
The solitude. Thou art in the soft winds 
That run along the summit of these trees 
In music ; — Thou art in the cooler breath, 
That from the inmost darkness of the place 
Comes, scarcely felt ; — the barky trunks, the ground, 
The fresh moist ground, are all instinct with Thee. 
Here is continual worship Nature, here, 
In the tranquillity that Thou dost love, 
Enjoys thy presence. Noiselessly around. 
From perch to perch, the solitary bird 
Passes ; and yon clear spring, that, midst its herbs, 
Wells softly forth, and visits the strong roots 
Of half the mighty forest, tells no tale 
Of all the good it does. Thou hast not left 
Thyself without a witness, in these shade's, 
Of thy perfections. Grandeur, strength, and grace. 
Are here to speak of Thee.” * 
A large motli, the Purple Underwing {Catocala 
Epione)^ led me a wild-goose chase the other day. 
All the moths of this genus are beautiful, the under 
wings being generally dyed with brilliant crimson, 
scarlet, or orange, banded with black ; in some 
however they are wholly black, as in the species 
before us, with a changeable purple gloss. The 
upper wings, in all, I believe, are finely variegated 
with sober colours, grey, brown, and black, in 
many waves and shades ; and in this we see a 
wise ordination of Providence for their safety. 
Their usual resting place is the perpendicular 
* Bryant ; " Forest Hymn.” 
