The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-18


RAMBLING IN THE WOODS.
= CITY Man. r: %sss;s, g y s''.'' : =.
Il was . hot, eloudless day In August
A gentlo broczo was stirring, and. site
ting on tho littlo back porch Of the old
farmhouse and looking across . vista OF
yellow stubble-aclds to the dark limo OF
woods. nearly hatf . milo away, / could
eco tho tops Of tho tallcst trccs swayinR
gently, md could almost. I fancicd. hcar
the faint rustling Of their leaves, Of tho
music OF which I have over, since y
child. been ovcr-fond,' writes Ed q.
Pritchard, In the Arkansaw Travclcr.
1t had been three years since ] had
visited tho old farm. three long years OF
toilat tho desk, amid tho noise and busy
striso OF q great metropolis, and this Was
my frst day Of q short weeks vacation
ut tho old homo. among tho friends OF
my boyhood days and tho scenes Of tho
happicst years oS mylifc.
I had reached tho farm about ten
AA ~ hAOAhA08s MHM 0AVGS
bountcous dinner ut noon, was sitting
on the porch, the coolest place, as ! we'll
knew. about the house, fcasting my eyes
on tho dear old landscape that / had
known solong, and which, during all tho
years that l had boon away from it, 10
always q charming picture that, though
paradoxical It may sound, I had only TO.
shut my eyes to see ct will.
I must get to those woods, and that Ut
once. No matter that tho afternoon
August II was sending down his flcrccst
rays, no matter that ! must walk half q
milo ACROSS stuhblc.ficlds, which,, from
where I sat, could SEQ wore almost
quivcring with heat, I know what sweet,
familiar sounds l shall hear, what . rc-
frcslling GOODNESS and quiet I shall ind
when I have reached their green and
shady depths. EScn while nm think
ing Of these things, o solitary crow with
q loud '.caw! caw!" flics swiftly over tho
stubble-6clds, high in DIR, and light
ing on tho top Of q hugo oak sends forth
u series Of cxultant ..caws." " his mates
whom he has left in tho orchard back Ut
tho barn. To NC he seems tosay to them:
"Thcrc arc no hons nests In that old
straw.stack. Why stay over there in that
hot, broiling sun? Como over horc.
into these grand old woods. Hard by
IL tho creek, and l know u lark and
shady pool whore We q bathc. and he
low it q shining. singing ripple. whore
VIC can wade anu play to our hearts CON-
tent"
Evidently, they understood tho means
ing ct his cries, for q u later .
bcvy of tho black and saucy rasca:s GO
scurrying across tho fields and jOin him..
wherc they AL set up . perfect chorus
OF .caws." which ! take to bo express
sions Of approval Of their companlon's
suggestion.
misunderstanding myself Of coat and
vest. for in tho country it is no breach
of etiquette ITO Go in your shirt
sleeves" l step into tho ha:; aud take.
from tho rack q w:dc.br;ulnie straw
hat. and a:,cr a brics stop at ths old
spr;nR.hOuss at the foot Vt the hill, ! au
cft, MS tue crows fly, acrOss fields for
the WOODS.
On Roaming them I find I mn sweat
ing profuscly. What! You say sweat
ing IS vulgar, ] should say pcrspirin9?
Wei, M matter; know am heated
and Gusned. but ! never felt better.
The air is pure and sweet, tho birds arc
singing in tne woods on the borders Of
Ia little stream, and now ~ I pause to
mop NY dripping facn l hear . wood
rsrkcr bca:.ay his lively tattoo on ON
Old tcccA stub and chirp, chirp comes
from a saucy little ground squirrel as.
hc strcaxs II like n flash Of russct light
along III. ra;:s of the old fence neal
which ! aM s:anliny. shy o rock ut
HIN. our Of p".rc w~antonncss, and am.
%nL-!"rous enough to wish l had o gun
witn which To take a crack ut that willy
Old wvol lmckcr, who has, on catching
sight Of ,uc. slyly slipped around to tho
Stncr side Of the old beech stub, wllcro
l can still hear hin, pccking away ~,
busy as a na..or.
hastily scramble over tho fcncc, and
0Sc minutes later I stand under tho
thick shade Of tho wldc.sprcading.
branches Of q grand old beech treo
and on tho cdgo Of o steep bluff, at
whose base runs the turbulent but ro-
mantle Little Wildcat creek. throw
myself down on the grass, which is hero
80 luSuriant that it is softer than tho
heaviest carpet. and thcro l lie for half
an hour idly listening to the soft and
indcscribablc Music Of tho waters bo-
low. Then, having cooled off, 60
down to tho waters edge and dclib-
cratcly disrobc amigo in swimmin'."
Mind. l don't say bathing, for I had no
bathing suit. ] just dad as VIC boys used
to do years ago-.just stripped OF and
went in swimmin'." You sec, there was
nobody there to look except tho birds
and tho squirrels and an old black
water snake which / caught summing
himself out o. . rock ut tho watcr's
edge. and which l ruthlcssly killed with
. club.
How I did cnjoy that swim. that frolic
all by myself in the wator! Tired Of
that, ! continued my stroll until a cool~
ness Of the mir and rapidly-dccpcning
shadows warned nc that It was timc to
turn my face homcward.
When l reached tho house I made q
discovery, and that wa that whilc in
swimming 1 had donc Just as I had
often done before when q boy-had sun.
burned both shoulders into b~listers, ono.
on each the sizo Of my hand. Then,
too, as in days long aSonc, . liberal 40.
pltcation OF sweet cream was given anil
] went 70 bed with tho chickens, was up
with tho birds and tho ncxt day was
able to go squirrel-hunting and had q.
glorious time. Hut Of all my brief va
cation days ! shall not soon forget that
afternoons ramblc in tho woods.