Year: 1870




were that Of midnight, it very forcibly
occurred to us how much they were the
losers who never left their beds out of the
accustomed hours. Here was little
fresh morning jaunt, worth many times
the trouble it cost, for it took us almost
insensibly into the realm of new eAperien-
ces.


We sealed some messy bars, ranged off
down slope among few stunted apple
trees, and to be brief, were not long in
reaching the brookside. Close by was a
strip of woods; into which we plunged for
a few minutes only, that no possible i'm
preston of the morning might be lost upon
US. In that cool twilight which seemed
braided by bough and leaf, the bird family
were just getting up and coming down
from their airy chambers. They called
gaily one to another from out the windows
of their different apartments, and their
piping voices echoed through every sylvan
arch and along every leafy corridor. The
green and velvety MOSES under foot were
scarcely damp and the short grasses hard
ly held pearl on the points of all their
blades, such complete protection the dense
umbrage offered against the night dews.


In the heart of the morning silence
which is an awakening rather than a drea-
ming silence-we were startled by the
noise of young cattle rowing through the
wood, breaking down the tender under
growth Of shrub and brush, and half-tim-
idly, half-boldly advancing within eyc-shot
of so unfamiliar an intruder. Their wild
eyes answering to the Homcric epithet,
were as full Of lustre as the beads of dew
that Night had scattered over the grass of
the meadow.


Emerging from this verduous temple,
and leaving the happy birds behind us,
We crept stealthily down to the edge of the
wimpling stream, and made the first cast
of the morning, The brook, where we
stood, was scarcely bigger than our body,
which we cannot in conscience assert
has not waxod somewhat since that day;
and the shy little Naiad seemed trying to
hide itself among the scdges and under
the long, rushy grasses. We stood knee
deep now in the wet and matted jungle of
the morning, while all around US, insects
without name or number, were just start
ing up to enjoy the gay sport of their span
long summer existence. And while in
this half-surprised posture, up came the
flaming sun over the eastern hills, and be-
gan pouring its golden glory like a food
into the sparkling basin of the meadow.


As we tramped along, making fresh
cast Of the line with every few steps, each
advance revealed to the delighted eye new
er and expanded charms. Now the spirit
took in the meaning of the freshness and
sweet fragrance of Morning. Snatches
from the rural poets came singing their
way into our heart, like golden-zoued bees
driving homeward with their freights of
honey. Over night, the busy spiders,
with the instinct of Penelope, had spun
slendercst ropes of very gossamer, and
swung them across from one grass -spre
to another, each rope, like a suspension
bridge, heavy with its string of pearly
dews, which the fancy delighted to be-
lieve early passengers.


We frightened callow bird out of its
hiding-place among the tussocks, where
he was squatted with upturned bill,
waiting in dumb patience for the coming
of his providcnt mother. A 1.-THE and
string-lik black snake uncoiled himself
from the fork of an alderbush, and slid
down with slump, that is in our ears
now, into the water. The homely che
wink advertised us of her brisk wherea-
bouts, by her musical monotone in the
neighboring thicket of birches A gay
little yellow-poll played an eager air on
his bagpipe, as if he would frankly ask us
how we liked that, so bright and early in
the morning. The polyglottal bobolink
careered in sort of drunken delight a
cross the level stretch of meadow, and
alghted on a frail rush stem at last, to
swing out the rest of the little Joy he had
not strength to sing.


By and by, the voices of boys could be
heard over on the opposite hill-sides,
screaming their shrill "Go-long" to cows
that were too slow for their temper. Next
the kissing sound of scythes, grinding for
the mornings work down in the moving.
Then cart, rafting with great noise
now, cattle lowing to one another from all
the hill-sides and young calves bleating,
and the whole day fairly awake with its
sounds of life and activity. Still, along
down through the meadow we pursued our
devious way, casting and recasting our
line in the water, twisting our path just
as the little brook twisted its own course,
-errant and tortuous, Shat kept whis-
pering and smiling, prattling and laugh
ing to us, till we ached to know of what
pleasant secret the sprite would wish to
unburden itself to our cars.


How many spcckled beauties were ours,
as tribute from the little brook that NOR
ming, a peep into our creel would have
readily disclosed; but we found finer
things to feed on than trouts in that charm
ed spot, greatly as We admire and love
even them.


Such morning, three good hours long
as we made it, lies in my memory now
like the fresh picture of a world of which
we feel that, in some previous existence,