VIII 
AUTUMN 
SLOWLY Autumn kindles her torch. Here and 
there a yellow leaf shows among the green. Then 
comes a premonitory softening of the whole land- 
scape. Then colors, almost as dainty as those of 
spring, creep over the earth, so slowly that time and 
again you decide there is to be no great display this 
year, when, some warm November day, you look out 
to find the world transfigured. 
The difference between the autumn coloring of the 
North and of the South is that there it is brilliant, 
while here it is tender. There the hardwood trees 
blaze, here they glow. The reds that here so wonder- 
fully emblazon the book of nature have a peculiar 
delicacy and softness of tone that give a character of 
its own to the landscape. As the oak leaves deepen 
to wine-red, the dogwoods turn exquisite shades of 
old-rose and pink, and the sourwood adds its ruby 
splendor. The tall pyramidal forms of the sweet- 
gum, mantled in dark purple or deep reds touched 
with orange, add depth to the color-tone of the 
forest, or its leaves turn yellow, — and sometimes all 
these colors mingle together on the same tree. A 
sweet-gum in autumn dress with the sun through it 
fairly takes one's breath. Sassafras points the 
woods with thrilling spots of scarlet, orange, and 
