Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-07-30
THOSE sraawsssaIss
The Delightful Journey, lie Picking. The Can
ming, and Tooshsom. Ecsiacy 10 Store.

1t was about FIVE o'clock the hottest day
OF the season that we started from Oakland
tor Mercer, after straw berries. We were
dressed for the occasion, and as we stopped
at the post office our loaded wagon and pic.
turesque costumes attracted wide attention.
The sun was still high enough to cast un-
comfortable warmth over the first few mile,
OF our journey, and it was not until we
reached McGrath pond pronounced Mer-
graw BY the infofmedl that we began to
take serious interest in the fair prospect
spread out before us. Then the road be-
gan to dip deep down into the heart of the
woods, where ferns and poison ivy 1u4uriate
in the semi-darkness, and the wild, sad notes
OF the hermit-thrush may be heard even at
tide.
Again it made difficult ascent between
pastures SO bare and stony that we can east
ly believe the old story of the Hardscrab-
be farmer who sharpened his sleeps nos
es on grindstone, and let the animals
down by their tails to feed between the
rocks. Rocks-rocks everywhere; we no.
ticed whole fields full of rocks. small rocks
piled upon great ones and rice uersa where
that great ice-riyer of by-gone age,weari-
ed of its weight had dumped its stony
freight on these side-hills to choke vegeta-
ton and harass the tiller of the soil.
Then more woods and-look between
the trees a glimpse of wondrous beauty
East Pond, its blue enameled sur
face set with emerald islands. Then
we pass through thickets, low and damp,
where earlier in the season abound the wild
Gala lily and pink and white lady's slipper,
and where soon the purplefriDged orchis
will Haunt its lovely plume.
After this comes sunny, open stretches of
laughing, dimpiing meadow land, where
bobolinks are dancing and swallows skim
ming the tops of the grasses.
South Smithfield is merely handful of
houses, picturesque, but generally neglected.
The grass grows long in the front yards and
some of them are ornamented with grind
stones and hogsheads. Children seem to
be very plentiful, also dogs of uncertain
breed, but the Inhabitants appear contented
and happy.
Smithfield is village of somewhat larger
pretensions. IL has saw-mill and two or
three stores. 1t is also summer resort in
small way. One house attracts attention
by virtue of having heavy iron chains
swung across the front yard for a fence,
making entrance by the front door appar-
emily impossible. The denizens of this vii
lage seem to be thrifty, tay-at-home set.
have never seen loafer in Smithfeld.
Perhaps this is because | have always
CHANGED to pass through the place just at
supper time. Here, for long distance
the road skirts North Pond, which lay ia
the Understanding sunlight like an opal
scent jewel. At our right were strange,
wild stretches of bog land, with the trunks
Of blasted trees rising out of stsgnant pools
of water. Then, in deep, dark dell, away
below the roadway, lies the prettiest little
pond not more than so rods in breadth and
completely hemmed in by dark hemlocks
and giant pines.
Here we have selected the spot for our
summer cottage on little knoll facing a
sand beach, where The waves of North Pond
slide up with q gentle "SriSh."
1.-The shades Of night were falling fast"
when we finally reached our destination, and