Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

get something. I was to go over to Bill’s but he became impatient and came after me. We proceeded to the library and there found Day and “Doggy” Leonard. They had two books with complete affirmative and negative briefs on almost every conceivable subject. We immediately clamored for these books, for we wanted to copy one out. I suppose it would have done Miss Tates heart good to see us work hard for our English, but then that doesn’t matter much. Presently King, Bud and Smith straggling in, and after all of us had been called down for talking, we went up town, where we regaled ourselves in icecream at Kleins. On the way home Bill and I arra­nged to take a morning walk to-morrow morning.

                   Tuesday, April 11, 1911.

"Gee" said Bill, "I didn’t know it was so cold."

“Here either^” I replied, blowing my fingers to keep them warm. We had started on our walk and were now passing the frog-­pond. After a fierce mental struggle I had got up and went over to Bill’s. I had to whistle sometime before he answered. He said that he had been up once, but thought I wasn’t coming and went back to bed.  It was a cold frosty morning, and a cool fresh wind as blowing; the pale yellow sun was obscured by mists.

We crossed the pasture fields and entered Bentley’s woods, going down thru the winding hollow. On every side arose the sweet sound of many birds, which mingled their notes with the rippling of the stream and the rustle of the wind. At the Old Mine we struck northward thru some saplings to a path leading thru the north side of the woods, to avoid the marshes in the hollow. We soon left the path to hunt for Hypaticas at a familiar place. Here we found a few of the fuzzy little flowers_, and went eastward thru the underbrush, until we came to another path, which we followed until it lost itself in the hollow where on the opposite banks of the brook, we found some more Hypaticas.

     From here we went on down the stream to the end, where on a hill I looked for more flowers. We found quite a few and altho my hands were cold, still I persevered until I had quite a little bunch of them. It was pleasant, as I picked them to hear the song of the birds and they were very sweet. Suddenly an old familiar bird-song reached my ears - familiar because every Spring I listened to its enchanting melody - but I had never learned what king of a bird it was