100 
one was warm and beautiful. Long before the sun 
rose, the light vapor that had been floating in the air 
was turned into rose-colored and golden and purple 
clouds, to welcome his coming; and little islands of 
glorious mist were hanging in the still blue. It 
seemed as if the floor of the sky, as well as of the 
earth, was covered with flowers. 
The hills and fields were sprinkled with happy 
children, and the tuneful air answered to the sound 
of their happy voices. The May-birds had all come 
back from their winter visits, and they were now 
flying from tree to tree, and singing as if their little 
throats would burst—for May-day had come. The 
peewink was building his nest among the white 
blossoms of the choke cherry; the cinnamon-col¬ 
ored thrush was hiding his among the dark leaves 
of the saxifrage ; the bobolinks chattered from the 
cornels, and others, too numerous to mention, filled 
