Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive) PASTORAL DAYS PASTORAL DAYS OR MEMORIES OF A NEW ENGLAND YEAR BY W. HAMILTON GIBSON Illustrated NEW YORK HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE 1881 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. _All rights reserved._ TO ONE WHOSE CLOSE COMPANIONSHIP HAS WROUGHT THAT HARMONY AND PEACE OF MIND FROM WHICH THIS BOOK HAS SPRUNG, AND TO WHOM ITS EVERY PAGE RECALLS A REMINISCENCE OF THE PAST IDENTIFIED WITH MEMORIES OF MY OWN This Memoir is Lovingly Inscribed OUR SOUVENIR [Illustration] THE CYCLE. SPRING: PAGE _The Awakening_.....19 SUMMER: _The Consummation_.....51 AUTUMN: _The Waning_.....91 WINTER: _The Sleep_.....125 ILLUSTRATIONS. DESIGNED BY W. HAMILTON GIBSON. TITLE. ENGRAVER.....PAGE THE KINDLED FLAME W. H. CLARK.....18 THE AWAKENING H. GRAY.....19 A SPRING MORNING F. S. KING.....21 CATKINS JOHN FILMER.....23 PUSSIES ” ”.....23 EARLY PLOUGHING H. WOLF.....25 THE RETURN FROM THE FIELDS GEORGE SMITH.....26 VOICES OF THE NIGHT JOHN FILMER.....27 A RAINY DAY J. HELLAWELL.....29 A HANDFUL FROM THE WOODS H. GRAY.....32 AFTER ARBUTUS J. TINKEY.....34 THE FAIRY FROND J. P. DAVIS.....35 AN APRIL DAY GEORGE SMITH.....36 AMONG THE WILD FLOWERS SMITHWICK and FRENCH.....37 THE COLUMBINE R. HOSKIN.....38 THE MEADOW BROOK ” ”.....40 THE PHŒBE’S NEST W. H. MORSE.....41 BUILDING THE NEST HENRY MARSH.....42 IN THE APPLE ORCHARD R. HOSKIN.....43 LITTLE PLUNDERERS A. HAYMAN.....45 ONE OF NATURE’S MARVELS H. MARSH.....46 BLUE-FLAGS R. HOSKIN.....47 THE CONSUMING FLAME W. H. CLARK.....50 THE CONSUMMATION N. ORR.....51 DOLCE FAR NIENTE F. S. KING.....55 THE OLD GARRET F. JUENGLING.....56 AMID THE GRASSES F. S. KING.....58 EVEN-TIDE G. KRUELL.....60 THROUGH THE SEDGES R. HOSKIN.....62 AMONG THE BOGS J. TINKEY.....63 SOME ART CONNOISSEURS R. HOSKIN.....64 PROFESSOR WIGGLER J. FILMER.....65 THE TYRANT OF THE FIELDS H. E. SCHULTZ.....67 FAMILIAR FACES AT THE VILLAGE STORE R. A. MULLER.....70 A SOUVENIR SMITHWICK and FRENCH.....72 ALONG THE HOUSATONIC GEORGE SMITH.....74 JUDD’S BRIDGE P. ANNIN.....78 THE HAUNTED MILL J. HELLAWELL.....79 PURSUERS AND PURSUED GEORGE ANDREW.....81