Middletown transcript., 1868-06-13

strip of woods; into which we plunged for
a few minutes only, that no possible i'm
preston of the morning might be lost upon
us. In that cool twilight which seemed
braided by bough and leaf, the bird family
were just getting up and coming down
from their airy chambers. They called
gayly one to another from out the windows
of their different apartments, as if asking
of the new morning that re-created the
world for them; and their piping voices
echoed through every sylvan arch and
along every leafy corridor. The green
and velvety mosses under foot we're scarce
ly damp, and the short grasses hardly held
a pearl on the points of all their blades,
such complete protection the dense UNI
bragg offered against the night dews.
In the heart of the morning silence
which is an awakening rather than a
dreaming silence-we were startled by the
noise of young cattle rowing through the
wood, breaking down the tender under
growth of shrub and brush, and half-bold-
ly, and half-timidly advancing within eye
shot of so unfamiliar an intruder. Their
wild eyes, answering to the Homeric epi-
thet, was as full Of lustre as the beads of
dew that Night had scattered over the
grass of the meadow. ....
Emerging from this verduous temple,
and leaving the happy birds behind us, we
crept stealthily down to the edge of the
whipping stream, and made the first cast
of the morning. The brook, where we
stood, was scarcely bigger than our body,
which we cannot in conscience assert
has not waxed somewhat since that day !;
and the shy little Naiad seemed trying to
hide itself among the sedges and under the
long, rushy grasses. We stood knee-deep
now in the wet and matted jungle of the
morning, while all around US, in among
the slender stems of the grass, insects
without name or number were just starting
up to enjoy the gay sport Of their span
long summer existence. And while in
this half-surprised posture, up came the
flaming sun over the eastern hills, and be-
gan pouring its golden glory like flood
into the sparkling basin of the meadow.
As we tramped along, making a fresh
cast of the line with every few steps, and
leaving but single trail in the heavy
grass behind us, each advance revealed to
the delighted eye newer and expanded
charms. Now the spirit took in the mean
ing Of the freshness and sweet fragrance of
Morning. Snatches from the rural poets
came singing their way into our heart, like
golden-zoned bees driving homeward with
freights of honey. Over night, the busy
spiders, with the instinct of Penelope, had
spun slenderest ropes of very gossamer,
and swung them across from one grass
spirc to another, each rope, like suspen-
sion bridge, heavy with its strings of pear
ly dews, which the fancy delighted to be-
lieve early passengers. af
We frightened callow bird out of his
hiding-place among the tussocks, where he!
was squatted with upturned bill, waiting
in dumb patience for the coming of his
provident mother. A 1.-THE and string-like
black snake uncoiled himself from the fork
of an alder-bush, and slid down with O
slump, that is in. our ears now, into the
water. The homely chewink advertised
us of her brisk whereabouts, by her musi-
cal monotone in the neighboring thicket of
birches. A gay little yellowpoll played
an eager air on his bagpipe, as if he would
frankly ask us how we liked that, so early
in the morning. The polyglottal bobolink
careered in sort of drunken delight
across the level stretch of meadow, and
alighted on a frail rush stem at last, to
saoing out the rest of the little joy he had
not strength to sing. -,a -.
BY and by, the voices of boys could be
heard over on the opposite hill-sides,
screaming their shrill Colon g !" to COWS
that were too slow for their temper. Next,
the kissing sound of scythes, grinding for
the mornings work down in the moving
Then cart, rattling with great noise
over stony length of the road. And now,
cattle lowing to one another from all the
and young calves bleating -
and the whole day fairly awake with its
sounds of life and activity. Still, along
down through the meadow we pursued our
devious way, casting and recasting our
line in the water, twisting our path Just as
the little brook twisted its own COURSE
errant and tortuous, that kept whispering
and smiling, prattling and laughing to us,
till we ached to know of what pleasant Sc
cret the sprite would unburden itself to
our ears. Hl B"
How many speckled beauties were ours,
as q tribute from the little brook that
peep into our creel would have
readily disclosed; but we found finer
things to feed on than trouts in that
charmed spot, great as we admire and love
even them. .....5,Yr. -.r ..t
Such morning, three good hours long
as we made it, lies in my memory now like |
the fresh picture of world of which we
feel that, in some previous existence, per-
haps, we may once have dreamed. Itwas
every whit itself. Nothing else could be
like it. It would be styled very cheap
pleasure by many, because there was no
carriage hire needed to reach it but such
are the only pleasures, let us remember,
that are afterwards called up as the green
spots of the lifetime. Nothing of this sort
can be found up for sale. Money bears
no relation to it. High health, deep