The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18
ENTER AUTUMN SUDDENLY.
Change OF a Night In the Woodlands and
Suburban Fields.

Autumn appeared hereabouts in the
second week OF September, and came like
a thief in the night. Just when sanguine
men were prophesying the coming OF the
real summer and were promising at least
three weeks OF warm weather sudden
chill, NOT like that Of cool July or August
days, but Enthusiastically autumnal came
ewith hint as OF early frost.
4 Barelegged children in the parks and
barefoot boys in suburban fields felt 1t,
and had sudden drear premonitions OF the
fading year. Gardens still abundantly
bearing took on the look that means early
ruin.
Grape leaves thinned and curled, and
grapes ripened rapidly in the September
sunlight. Nature seemed in haste to close her
account and have her full fruitage set
down TO her credit.
All through August suburban lawns
and fields and woods had preserved fresh
ness a. OF early summer. Then suddenly.
Just on the edge Of mid-September, came
change In the aspect Of the woodlands.
Hickorie the most sensitive vegetable
! barometers OF the forest had turned almost
| a mustard brown. You could see at glance
that their work for the year. was done.
! 1t was more than ever plain also that the
| hickory nuts we're few.
| Squirrels, in fact, were busy carrying on
the hazel nuts, because their usual supply
| Of shagbarks was short. The hazel nuts
themselves showed the mark Of autumn
| in the browning Of their frilled covering.
and the catkins that are to make the nuts
! OF next year stood out clear against the
/ September sky.
! i he elms too, in sympathy with the hick =
ores, began to burn on the edges OF their
leaves, and siokly swamp NAPLES showed
q hectic flush two weeks before their time.
The woodland wall OF the suburbs seemed
to the uncriticsl observer as green as ny
the end OF August, but when you managed
| to catch the forest edge in the light OF the
new risen or the declining sun you saw
! that faint unge Of ripening was spread
The Bronx meadows plainly confessed the
hand of autumn.
More eloquent yet Of change was the
aspect OF the suburban lawns. They were
still green and growing, but II neglected
for day they were seen to be strew ,, with IN
the foliage which are the first to yield to
subtle atmospheric conditions that have
little outward effect upon thoroughly healthy
vegetation:
goldenrod and their gorgeous decoration
Of purple Spanish needles announced the
| end of summer.
| 30, too, did the wildly contorted drying
and diving leaves Of the wild grapes that
festoon the fences and hedges The fox
| grapes are dead ripe and moetly eaten by
Birds, and the acrfd chicken grapes await
| the magic touch Of the frost which is TO
convert their flavor into delicious, teasing
acidity.
Even the birds seemed taken by surprise
at the sudden coming Of autumn, The
awkward young robins, with their barred
breasts and foolish faces, rose IN frightened
fiooks along with their greedy parents.
Wood thrush and bluebird and brown
thrasher had gone. Even the delightful
little summer yellow bird, which was feed
inr on the thistle blossoms q few days age
and flying through the clear air In long
rising and falling curves, each punctuated
with a musical call. seemed to have found
business further south. Only the owl
called more than ever at night, and one
knew that the strong, harsh, insistent cry
Of the bluejsy would presently be eohoing
beneath the thinned and thinning thatch
OF the woodland.
Outdoor breakfasts in the suburbs are
now to be had only on bright Sundays, when
A late breakfast hour lets In the warm
autumn sunshine to the sheltered porch
and outdoor dining is almost thing Of
the past. Forehsnded suburbans are mark
ing the trees that are to be felled for winter
fuel, and there are delightful anticipationi
| Of hearth fires at the Sunday morning
breakfast when the first sharp frost oil
October shall give such luxury the guist
Of necessity.