ay light of an
autumnal morning, with groups of cattle couched still between the trees
where they had passed the night; the distant hills, veiled partially in
mist, partially rearing their round leafy heads toward the brightening
sky; and then the various changes of the landscape, as slowly the day
broke behind the eastern hill; and all the various sounds of bird, and
beast, and insect, which each succeeding variation of the morning served
to call into life as if by magic. First a faint rosy flush stole up the
eastern sky, and nearly at the self-same moment, two or three vagrant
crows came flapping heavily along, at a height so immeasurable that
their harsh voices were by distance modified into a pleasing murmur. And
now a little fish jumped in the streamlet; and the splash, trifling as
it was, with which he fell back on the quiet surface, half startled me.

A moment afterward an acorn plumped down on my head, and as I looked up,
there sat, on a limb not ten feet above me, an impudent rogue of a gray
squirrel, half as big as a rabbit, erect upon his haunches, working away
at the twin brother of the acorn he had dropped upon my hat to break my
reverie, rasping it audibly with his chisel-shaped teeth, and grinning
at me just as coolly as though I were a harmless scare-crow.

When I grew tired of observing him, and looked toward the sky again,
behold the western ridge, which is far higher than the eastern hills,
had caught upon its summits the first bright rays of the yet unseen
day-god; while the rosy flush of the east had brightened into a blaze of
living gold, exceeded only by the glorious hues with which a few bright
specks of misty cloud glowed out against the azure firmament, like coals
of actual fire. Again a louder splash aroused me; and, as I turned,
there floated on a glassy basin, into which the ripples of a tiny fall
subsided, three wood-ducks, with a noble drake, that loveliest in
plumage of all aquatic fowl, perfectly undisturbed and fearless,
although within ten yards of their most dreaded enemy.

How beautiful are all their motions! There! one has reared herself half
way out of the water; another stretches forth a delicate web foot to
scratch her ear, as handily as a dog on dry land; and now the drake
reflects his purple neck to preen his ruffled wing, and now--bad luck to
you, Peacock, why did you snort and stamp?--they are off like a bullet,
and out of sight in an instant.

And now out comes the sun hi