Page:Thoreau - His Home, Friends and Books (1902).djvu/316

282 What others did at distance hear, And guessed within the thicket's gloom, Was shown to this philosopher, And at his bidding seemed to come."

It is interesting to note how fully his townsmen appreciate his calendar of the seasons and his "police patrol" over Concord woods and meadows. In some local newspapers, dated years after Thoreau's death, I found several references to his data for that particular week or month, the appearance of flower or changing tint of sky. The brief notice,—"Thoreau says, 'About this time expect, etc., recalls the mysterious predictions of the old-time almanacs. This latter-day almanac-compiler, however, was definite and unfailing. Mr. Moncure Conway has exampled the surety of nature-prophecy from Thoreau's words. When the latter told Mr. Conway that the hibiscus "would open about Monday and not stay long," the visitor to Concord scarcely accepted the information as literal so he delayed until Tuesday afternoon before making his search; he found that he was "a day too late,—the petals lay on the ground."

The correspondence between Thoreau at Walden and Mr. Cabot, the secretary of Agassiz, is included in the "Familiar Letters" and shows the grateful and respectful attitude of these Boston scientists