The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-09-27
A SEPTEMBER WALK.

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All months are pleasant to walk in,
but September is more pleasant than
some of the others. The cool mornings
are invigorating, make US appreciate
the warmth of the sun, and make the
mere exercise of walking pleasure.
/ went out the other day to enjoy
the first touch of autumn. The air was
clear, the sky intensely blue, with
fleets of soft white clouds drifting
across it, propelled by gentle west
| erly wind. The landscape was warm
| with the rich glow of the goldenrod,
which burned along the fences, in the
open meadows, everywhere. With 1t,
but less conspicuous, were hosts of
other fiowers-towering trumpet
weed, sturdy boneset, unkempt asters,
and tall wild sunflowers. The pods
of the milkweed, growing near the
stone walls, were well roundabout
and almost ready to burst, while the
| fall dandelions were in every stage
from folded flower bud to ripened seed
| heads. OF all the seeds l saw that day,
| those of the wild lettuce were the
most remarkable, largely because of
their immense numbers. A certain
clearing in the woods was almost fill
ed with these tall plants the feath-
cry seed of which was floating about
in every direction. All spiders webs for
many rods around were covered with
this vegetable down, and it adhered
in great quantities to the bushes and
the trunks Of trees. 1t was interesting
to tap the stalks Of the lettuce with
stick and see the seeds in myriads
rise from the flower-heads and In
white clouds float away through the
! trees.
The acorns were ripening fast, and
many lay strewn upon the ground At
one point l watched two busy gray
squirrels at work in the oak trees, and
so great was their agility that ! felt
| chained to the earth by comparison.
Bounding lightly over the ground,
one of them would leap some three
feet up the trunk of tree, and con-
tinue the ascent in a spiral. Having
reached well-laden branch, he would
run out to the end of it, cut off the
punches of acorns with his sharp
| teeth, and watch them curiously as
they fell pattering to the ground,
Then down he would come, occasional
ly pausing head downward on the
| trunk, and finally scamper off to pick
up the fallen acorns. One by one he
would take them in his teeth, and leap
away with Them through the ferns.
| Sometimes he did not go very far, but.
| scraping a. little hole with his front
| paws, deposited his acorn, raked
| few leaves over it and scampered off
for more. Presumably these were be-
ing stored away for future use, but I
am afraid that many of the acorns
| were so hurriedly and carelessly hid
den that the happy, erratic little toll
| ers would never find them again.
Then l saw a sight which marred
the rest of my walk. From grove of
| tall trees, not far from a farm house.
| I heard the report of gun, and hur-
| ried over to see what was going on.
/ found two boys, one holding the still
smoking weapon. They were seated
| on a log, gazing with evident pride at
| the result of their mornings sport 60
five handsome grey squirrels, the
| last with his hot life blood still trick
ling over his silvery fur o. the pity of
it all! Those squirrels were personal
| friends of mine. The farmer to whom
the woods belonged had been feeding
them and tanning them for weeks, I'M
til yesterday, when for the first time
he had so far won their confidence
that they took food from his hands.
| But an hour ago they were full of vigor
! and health, racing through the tree
tops, happy in their busy, harmless
lives. Now they lay, with dimmed
eyes, and limp bodies, five shapeless
masses of bloody gray fur; and for
what? That two thoughtless boys
might have the indescribable pleasure
of killing them-killing creatures so
tame and fearless that they must
have afforded almost as much sport as
the shooting of Gagged canary There
was nothing to be done. AS far as
was concerned, the boys had acted
within the law. According to their
lights they had done a praiseworthy
deed, and were proud of it. 1t is use
less to say, do not kill; we have
inherited many things from savage
ancestors, and we cannot lightly throw
away our heritage. 1t is but lately
that we have removed the rings from
our noses, and we have not yet remov-
ed them from our ears and hands. Yet
these are but trifles pertaining to
customs which lie at the surface of
our natures; how can we expect then
to pluck out the inherent, deep-rooted
love of strife and bloodshed which
many of our very best citizens possess?
We cannot expect to do it yet. Let