Telegram-herald., 1890-07-12
In THE WOOD LOT"
Nature il Her Natural Beauty and
Nature Improved"
Pleasure OF Haunting the Why Eios jay
striving 20 Woo Shy Nature 90 frfeBd-
ship The B0btus' feceptioR Of
= Suspicious stranger.

There's hlre ,sys a-plenty Up in the
wood lot, said the farmers boy, boar
Ing ne lament my unsuccessful search
for that Willy bird There's ono pair
makes On awful fuss every time /
passes"
I Immediately offered 20 accompany
the-youtA on bis next trip upthe mount
ain, where he Is engaged IN dragging
down 20 our level sunshine and summer
breezes winter winds and pute mount
ain air, IN the shape OF the bodies OF
trees. whose noble heads were laid how
by the axes last winter. One hundred
and afty cords Of beauty, the SLOW work
OF unnumberoi years, Brought down 10
what base usee!" the most Beautiful OF
natures productions degraded 70 the
lowest service-to fry our bacon and
bake our piesl
The farmer doesn't look upon IL exact
" In that way; he calls 10 ''cord-wood,"
and his oxen drag 1t down day by day.
The point Of view makes sush a diff
ferencel The road that winds down
through the valley, skirting its hills,
bridging its brooks and connecting this
lonely homestead with the rest OF the
human world, has on one side beauti-
full border Of all sorts OF greeneries.
just as nature, with her inimitable
t,uch, has placed them. II is homo
arda cover for small birds; IL is shade
on warm day; it is delight to,the
eve at all times. Yet in the farmers
eye IL is ''shiftfess" (the New England
er's boyy). The other side of the road
he has improved 1t glories in what
looks at little distance like single
gle procession of elaring new posts,
which on approaching are found TO be
the supports of one OF mans neigh borly
devices-barbed wire. Rejoicing in this
work of his hands on the left no longs
TO turn his nurderous weapons against
the right side. He has been labored
with; no bides his timo, but know in
my heart that whoever. comes hero next
summer will find that picturesque road
bristling with barbed wire ON both
sides. It Will be as ugly IS man can
make it. but it wiN be tidy" New En-
glands shibboleth). for no sweet green
thing viii grow up beside it. Nature
doesn't take kindly TO barbed wire
The old stone wall now is an irresist-
ible Invitation TO tho riotous luxurious
ness of vines. Alder bushes, with
their fine cream-colorcd blossoms. hang
lovingly over 1t; blackberry bushes,
lovely from snowy lowering to rich
autumn foliage, flourish beside it, and
thousand and one exquisite, sand to
me nameloss, green things hang upon
it and lean against it and nearly cover
It up And what a garden OF delight
nestles IN each protected corner of an
old-fashioned zig-zag fence! Yet all
these are under the ban-''shiftless."
Thanks be to the gods wha sowed this
country so fvll of stones ann trees, that
the army Of farmers who have worried
the land haven't succeeded in turning il
into the abomination Of desolation they
admire.
And now. having relieved my mind,
I'll go on with tho blue jay hunt:
The next morning it was, for rarity,
fine. | started up the wood road ahead
Of my guido, so that l might take my
climb as easily as such feat is suscep-
tiblo Of. Passing through tho baro
pasture, I entered the outlying clumps
Of spruce which form the advanco-guard
OF tho forests on Grcylock. and hero my
leader overlook me, urging his fiery
steeds, with their empty sled Now
horned beasts have had certain terror
for me ever since an exciting experience
with tbem.in nay childhood. / stood re-
spectfully on ono side, prepared 10 fly
should the "crittors" local) show ma
Ecious intent On they came, looking
at me sharply with wicked eyes.