Page:Rural Hours.djvu/388

Rh that he allows himself to impale nine grasshoppers daily; they also accuse him of devouring their peas, or those honey-loving insects which live in hives, called bees by most of us.

Thursday, 19th.—The falling leaves are still brightly colored, strewing the paths and village side-walks in many places; one is often tempted to stoop by the brilliancy of some of these fallen leaves, it seems a pity to leave them to wither in their beauty. When dried they preserve their colors a long time, especially when varnished; of course they lose a degree of brilliancy, but much less than the flowers.

The brooks and streams are often gayly strewn with the fallen foliage; the mill-dam at the Red Brook was sprinkled this afternoon with bright leaves, red and yellow, like a gay fleet from fairy-land.

Friday, 20th.—Rain. Many trees in the village losing their leaves very perceptibly; those that are yet in leaf have faded decidedly within the last thirty-six hours. The woods are still in color, however. Larches turning yellow rapidly. Willows unchanged. Evergreens in great beauty. The bare locusts brown with pods. Grass, bright green, well sprinkled with colored leaves.

Robins and a few other birds flitting about; saw sparrows, and several blue-birds, with them.

Saturday, 21st.—Mild, light rain; gnats dancing in spite of the rain-drops. Gray branches becoming more numerous every hour. Woods generally fading, though some trees brilliant still, red oaks and yellow birches; along the lake shore the trees are quite gay yet. The poplars in the village are beginning to drop their leaves. They first become bare below, while their upper branches are in