but here were many bunches of bristling swamp grass, that somehow added an air of desolateness to this scene. Perhaps those white-bleached logs and dead branches on the hill had something to do with it. Ice covered nearly all the field here. Some of it was “rubbery” and sank slowly in as I ran lightly along; it was a pleasing sensation. The sun, now nearly in the centre of the sky was reflected in the ice by a white blinding glare. Somewhere a song-sparrow sang. Presently I came to a tiny stream, which was making a great deal of music for its size. I thought I could step it easily, but my very sureness caused me to plunge one foot in it, smearing it beautifully with mud. On the other side I cam upon a huge mass of thick ice, that overspread the field for some distance. How so much had formed,I could not think. Had it been a hollow in the earth, the explanation would have been simple, but as the ground here sloped rather steeply, one would naturally think all water would run to the lower land. Without time to trouble myself with solving the question, I ran briskly over the ice to a fence. Here was a lot of