The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-09-25
LAST Gill C0TTAGER
RIOTS IN SENTIMENT

II am riotins III sentiment out here,
wrote the last girl cottager at the
Michigan resort. The woods and l
have things all to ourselves now and
we are having the time OF our lives.
They stand silent in the October
sunshine. But it is a silence OF diff
.erent quality from that OF the sum-
merit is breathless, eager. That is
TRANCE. since what they are waiting
tor is desolation 10 them-the touch
6, frost. the sad whirl Of the winds.
here is golden quality to the very
If. the reflection OF the yellow of the
,ecches, the Indian orange and red Of
IL sassalras, the yellowing brown OF
he oaks darkening into splashes Ct
l~,y crimson and streaks of luminoii
ronze. There is nothing in the "or!,,
o like bronze as certain of the oak
ayes.
Occasionally by some roadside,
ross some clearing, the eye falls on
,reat coni.agration running close to
II, ground II is the dwarf sunach,
lich is veritable living fame. The
denrcd is all rusty and the wild
tiers have vanished The ground is
ii II covered by a patterned carpet
rom the trees above. Slashing through
lis riot OF tones is something that
alttcrs with an uncanny, ripping
frilliance in the soft, steady rays of
the sun-it is the inland lake. which
VAS commonplace enough when just
blue or gray in the summer. Now 1t
is sheet of quicksilver pricked by
diamond points.
All through the woods is rustling
and scurrying and chattering. for the
cuirrels are getting ready for winter
and making a great uproar about It.
Max, the collie, passes his days in
historical chases. covering the ground
in the splendid, long leaps that only
a collie can manage. but always the
little rcd-brown squirrel flashes up
tree just in the MEX Of time and barks
staccato defiance in answer to the
dogs yclls OF disgust and defeat be.
low. Max has been known to dash
wildly into the bungalow and drag
any handy human being to the tree
whore some particularly eXaspcratinS
siuirrcl was safe" enscOnccd and de-
,land cycilodly flat his friend get the
villain down and deliver him over tor
i yoa peak collie Ing
i h YOU eau readily understand y x.
The squirrels are tolerahly me.
lhry will ST within arm, row
d You I'll branch and eat
II you are qa..'. Once saw
one Chamber ~ : hcn!ock with a.
lha mNst have weighed Il
sound, ana. iti Ga cn iis Aat3 ches,
deliberately ,ar lat hired,
~nking deii.a As 50, !lat
+ was a to.a.i.el ilt was no deai
mirrcl uaacr VI rfoo in2' Gar, .
IL nnsi hNr poa lie 80
Tho air II .u'l ot WINS, Tho hlQc-
jaws and Gog al NH, aad black
Birds and WocapeeboEs are set IN cyi-
dcnec, tho8gh - robias are Goae.
The croWs sweep and cav, the .lae&.
birds shriil and chatter and all tho
tree trunks rescfnd 70 the Nooapeeh-
ors' tappng search Tor insects \
couple OF iniinitosimal wgens hopping
Il, thp..ttrb - ',s,-.,., v,i1i ,..,l-., a
lot of noise AMI all day long this
leathered army is closing in on one.
Where the sun Is hottest on the
yellow grass the crickets still chirp
and the green katydids sing from
bending stalks. The crickets creep |
into the bungalow on the logs for the
fireplace and chirp from the corners |
Of the room.
Some morning. when it Is particu.
arly golden and still, on your throw
ng open the doors the world will be
Tiled with tremendous chatter of |
Dirds-not Of few. but apparently |
,f all the birds on earth, all talking |
1t once. Rushing out. you find doz-
en- trees inky with blackbirds. gather. |
ng for their migration. For two or |
hree days this din keeps up and oc.
'asionally the thousands will move up |
o another set of trees with a sweep |
through the air like waves. Then OF |
. sudden they are gone. You did not |
see them on their grand fight-nobody
,ver does catch them at it. They sim.
Ny were and now are not, so for as
'ou are concerned
Every day the leaves drop faster
md the paths and walks are hidden
lnder them. The ground Is speckled
With resinous pine cones and beech.
luts and acorns. \ sharper frost than
lsual pinches the last geraniums in
our garden and az night the cold
reeps Up through the living room and
GU edge toward the blazing fireplace.
After The long stretch of quiet.
Inning. perfect days OF Indian sum-
ncr you notice one evening as you
RAW the curtains and shut out the
lst glimpse Of The Redeemed sun drop
ing back Of the black trees into the
Ike that theswind is rising. 1t comes
asst and hard and imperious. All night
lie acorns beat on the roof like bull.
is and there is no wild scamper Of
quirrels Or raccocns above your head
nothing but a steady fall of some