only once in a thousand
years, has failed to arouse any enthusiasm in him, and he is apparently
quite indifferent to it.

Our goat has taken a great dislike to him,--I think just because he is
so different from herself. She is always making thrusts at him with her
horns, and trying to butt him over. But he preserves, even toward her,
his uniform sweet manner; calls her a "sheep," entirely ignoring her
rude, fierce ways; leads her to pasture every day, under great
difficulties; and attempts to milk her, at the risk of his life. The
serenity of these people is really to be envied; they go on their way so
perfectly undisturbed, whatever happens.

APRIL 30, 1870.

The tides are very peculiar here. Every alternate fortnight they run
very low, and then the beach is uncovered so far out that we can take
long rides on it, as far as the head of the bay.

We are very much entertained with seeing the old Indian crones digging
clams. They appear to be equally amused with us, and chuckle with
delight as we pass. It seems very strange to see human beings without
the least approach to any thing civilized or artificial, with the single
exception of the old blankets knotted about them with pieces of rope;
but when I compare them with civilized women of the same age, who are
generally helpless, I see that they have a great advantage over them.
They are out everywhere, in all weathers, and do always the hardest of
the work. We meet them often in the woods, so bowed down under the loads
of bark on their backs, that it looks as if the bark itself had a stout
pair of legs, and were walking. Our horse is always frightened, and can
never get used to them.

We can ride now for hours on the beach, looking at the water on one
side, and on the other at the densely wooded bluffs, now most
beautifully lighted up by the pink flowering currant. It is like the
rhodora at home, in respect to coming very early,--the flowers before
the leaves. At first it is of a delicate faint pink; but as the season
advances it becomes very deep and rich in color, and contrasts most
beautifully with the drapery of light-gray moss, and the dark fir-trees.

This flower attracts the humming-bird, and furnishes its earliest food.
This delicate, tropical-looking little creature is the first bird to
arrive; coming often in March from its winter home in California, where
it lives on another species of flowering currant that blooms through the
winter.

In making so