New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-04
SUMMER IN THE HEST.
of Ths NJ " TvihunsL


A Summer residence in the country has ito disad-
vantsges. Nocturnal visitors are numerous. Last
night, was waited upon bya great variety-moths
that fitted around the candle, sinsed their wings
or fell spluttering into the fame; bugs that whzzed
ard knocked about the room, and drowned them
selves in the water pitchers = swarm Of musketOes
that devOured me, waking or sleeping; at mid
| night, column of cold air pouring over me hike
| river from the open window, the weather hav-
ing changed and the wind risen; and lastly, a
young other Nth her family-tO wit, litter OF
kittens, which the maternal cat brought in at
| the window in her mouth and deposited under my
| bed terrible yawling awOke me-puss having
left four of her little family to go after the NTH On
| her return, jumping upon the window, kitten in
mouth she was met by apparition in night-cOthes
with lighted candle in one hand and gutta. percha
cane in the other Puss gro~Ied; kit between
her teeth cried; response from small concert I'M
der the bed. My first step was to put the mother to
| Hpbt then 10 empty some handfulls of her family
| out of the window after her. l them previous to
retiring quenched my thirst at the pitcher, strain
ing the water carefully through my teeth, after
Swimming of the largestOf the bugs with my fingers
There were bugs of all Sizes from pear-seed to
champagne cork
Illinois presents fine field to the student of in
sects Here he has them to his hearts content. On
awakpg in the morning, he finds spider letting
itself down over his nose, from the ceiling, for his
special inspection At breakfast, he is gratifed by
discovering some unique stradd!ebug crawling over
his shoulder: or he can study the MEASURE worm on
his sleeve while slipping his coffee. He has but to
lie down under the trees TO be soon covered by col
onies of bugs spiders, flies, worms lOng-legged
grandfathers, pismires and winged ants. They
seem to be quite as curious about his anatomy, as he
il about theirs Some Of them bite; some Of them
make nests in bis hair; some OF them show q mas
terful procvity to get crushed between his shirt
collar and his neck some make straight for his
bOOt-legs; some penetrate to his bosom and back
Happy man he has but to 60 home and shake him
self over sheet to secure at one haul, large en-
Genealogical collection.
But the familiar presence of living specimens in
this department OF natural science is not pleasant
TO the unscentifc. One must feel deep and afec-
tomato interest in larvae and lepidOptera to feel
much love for caterpllsrs. As student l suppose
should cherish scaraba though as man, l de-
test bectles-papi and clavated antennr are doubt
less vastly interesting and important, but do not
like horns and feelers. There Ii much in names;
and We are all more or less like the old woman who
hated fddlers, but thought the violin delightful in
strument. Bugs are beautiful in science, but not in
the experience of everyday life. Still, acknOw-
ledge their use, and do not excaim at every musketO
and inchwOrm, "What were insects ever made
lori" like great many thoughtless people know.
am sure they have manifold undiscovered uses, not
ts speak Of the obvious one of absorbing the euva
and exuding juice Of living dead vegetation Here
the West they ndirectlya great social beneiit.
They suggest Conversation. Alter the weather is
exhausted, bugs are taken up. 80, girls, look at
"this extraordinary blue dragon" "Whata won
derful worm !" Here's the queerestlOokng strad-
dle.bug you ever aw!" Often insects lead to
pleasing little acts Of mutual civiiity. my dear,
there's a spider on your bonnet" "Thank you;
| "there's caterpillar on your collar" And the
two friends fall to brushing and screaming, and
grow as animated as over cups OF tea.
Summer on the prairies has many things to recon.
mend it. There is nothing sweeter than some of
these cool, breezy days. The green fields seem to
.hNer with pleasure as the wind sweeps over them;
the woodlands wave their joyful boughs; the rolling
paine loses its far undulaing lines in ginmering
light. The groves beyond the valley shine beneath
sun and hsze-they are Natures poems " in blue
and gold :" The newer, the post driver and the
wild duck fly up from the river at my approach.
The quail whistles by the wheatfeld The cat
birds scream about the empty nest in the young
orchard. The cuckOos plaintive duplicate note
thrObs upon the Summer air. In the woods scare
up the partridge hen; she flutters away along the
ground as If wounded, and clucks tO her skuIklng
young ones. The rabbits dart out of my path; the
fox.squirrel runs up the bark of the nearest oak;
the wood.doyes watch me with their tender eyes
from the branches; the red-bird flashes like flame
from tree to tree; the chpmODk chatters; the toad
hops away from my foot; the snake gdes over the
rustliDg leaves the wind plays with the gold aud
green Of the bouphs above me; the sunshine strikes,
down through and falls spotted and quivering upon
the mandrakes, upon the ground covered with sticks
and leaves and upon the growths OF pale grass
But much of the Summer weather here Is OF intOl-
cradle heat and sultriness. The winds are dry and
parched, as if they had blown over sandy deserts.
The sky is a dazzling glare Of light The horizon
is like heated silver. The birds sit upon the boughs,
or fly languidy, with their beaks apart painting with
the heat The atmosphere is thick and tbuuderous,
Thunder storms are Observation-Disclosures alarm
ingly sudden and violent In the evening, we are
treated to grand displays of electrical pyrOtech
MICS. Inces.ant Lightning wraps the earth in
sheets of flame, blazes around the hori-
ION, streams up the sky, illumnes mighty
banks of heayy-pied clouds, plays about
Jagged riffs darts its swift sword hher and thther,
aud shows wild chasms filled with nomentary
rivers of fire. Sometimes this strange glare has
awoke me at midnight, and have gazed out upon
scene Of CHASTITY beauty. There is no thunder.or'
if any, it is low, distant growl Flash, nash,
flash, quicker than one can cOunt-here, there,
everywhere until the earth seems an island OF gloom
forever dsshed over and washed by q coruscating
ocean of fire.
The hot weather brings forward the retarded
crops. The harvest has commenced; wheat, rye,
oats and barley yield bounteously. Corn, though
late looks finely; it is strong and dark. IL Is
beautiful crop; proudly Its nUmberiess green naes
rustic and flap in the wind
Most of the settlers who have been long in this
country prefer it to any other. They boast OF it,
magnificent distances, its luxurious vegetation,
its gorgeous sunsets" They invest it with colors of
Romance; so that it seems an impertnence to In
qsire about agues and fevers. Yet fevers are
reality; and powerful men are shaken by still more