They now began to go up the mountain, and the path became in places steep and rugged enough. "There is an easier way on the other side," said Alice, "but this is the nearest for us." Captain Parry now showed signs of being decidedly weary, and permitted Alice to take him up. But he presently mounted from her arms to her shoulder, and to Ellen's great amusement, kept his place there, passing from one shoulder to the other, and every now and then sticking his nose up into her bonnet as if to kiss her. "What _does_ he do that for?" said Ellen. "Because he loves me, and is pleased," said Alice. "Put your ear close, Ellen, and hear the quiet way he is purring to himself — do you hear? That's his way; he very seldom purrs aloud." "He's a very funny cat," said Ellen laughing. "Cat!" said Alice; "there isn't such a cat as this to be seen. He's a cat to be respected, my old Captain Parry. He's not to be laughed at, Ellen, I can tell you." The travellers went on with good will; but the path was so steep, and the way so long that when about half-way up the mountain they were fain to follow the example of their four- footed companion, and rest themselves. They sat down on the ground. They had warmed themselves with walking, but the weather was as chill and disagreeable and gusty as ever; every now and then the wind came sweeping by, catching up the dried leaves at their feet, and whirling and scattering them off to a distance — winter's warning voice. "I never was in the country before when the leaves were off the trees," said Ellen. "It isn't so pretty, Miss Alice; do you think so?" "So pretty! No, I suppose not, if we were to have it all the while; but I like the change very much." "Do you like to see the leaves off the trees?" "Yes, in the time of it. There's beauty in the leafless trees that you cannot see in summer. Just look, Ellen — no, I cannot find you a nice specimen here, they grow too thick; but where they have room, the way the branches spread and ramify, or branch out again, is most beautiful. There's first the trunk, then the large branches, then those divide into smaller ones, and those part and part again into smaller and smaller twigs, till you are canopied, as it were, with a network of fine stems. And when the snow falls gently on them — oh, Ellen, winter has its own beauties. I love it all; the cold, and the wind, and the snow, and the bare forests, and our little river of ice. What pleasant sleigh-rides to church I have had upon that river! And then the evergreens, — look at them; you don't know in summer how much they are worth. Wait till you see the hemlock branches bending with a weight of snow, and then, if you don't say the winter is beautiful, I'll give you up as a young lady of bad taste." "I dare say I shall," said Ellen; "I am sure I shall like what you like. But, Miss Alice, what makes the leaves fall when the cold weather comes?" "A very pretty question, Ellen, and one that can't be answered in a breath."