the poetic sentiment of
melancholy. This sombre state of the mind soon passes away, effaced by
the exhilarating influence of the clear skies and invigorating breezes
of autumn, and the inspiriting sounds of myriads of chirping insects
that awake with the morning and make all the meadows resound with the
shout of their merry voices.

SONG OF THE WOOD-SPARROW.

[Illustration: de de de d d d d d r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
r r r r r r r r r r r r r re.]

NOTE.--In the early part of the season the song ends with the first
double bar; later in the season it is extended, in frequent instances,
as in the notes that follow.

SONG OF THE CHEWINK.

[Illustration: twee ta t' we we we we twee tu t' we we we we]

SONG OF THE GREEN WARBLER.

[Illustration: Hear me St. The - re - sa. Hear me St. The - re - sa.]

SONG OF THE WOOD-THRUSH.

[Illustration: too too tillere ilere tillere tilere

too issele issele tse se se se s s s s se

too tillery tillery oo villilil villilil too too illery ilery

eh villia villia villia oo airvee ehu, etc.]

NOTE.--I have not been able to detect any order in the succession of
these strains, though some order undoubtedly exists, and might be
discovered by long-continued observation. The intervals in the above
sketch cannot be given with exactness.

SONG OF THE VEERY.

[Illustration: e-e ve re a e-e verea e-e verea e-e verea vere lil lily]

or,

[Illustration: e villia villia villia villia ve rehu.]

NOTE.--I am far from being satisfied with the above representation of
the song of the Veery, in which there are certain trilling and liquid
sounds that hardly admit of notation.

SONG OF THE RED MAVIS.

[Illustration: drop it drop it cover it up cover it up]

pull it up pull it up tut tut tut see see see there you
have it hae it hae it

see tut tut work away work away drop it drop it cover it
up cover it up.]

NOTE.--The Red Mavis makes a short pause at the end of each bar. These
pauses are irregular in time, and cannot be correctly noted.

NOTE OF THE PEWEE.

[Illustration: pe - a - wee pe - a - wee.]

SONG OF THE BLUE-BIRD.

[Illustration]

THE MINISTER'S WOOING.

CHAPTER I.

Mrs. Katy Scudder had invited Mrs. Brown, and Mrs. Jones, and Deacon
Twitchel's wife to take tea with her on the afternoon of June second,
A.D. 17--.

When one has a story to tell, one is always puzzled which end of it to
begin at. You have a whole corps of people t