The
Snake-Head, _Chelone Glabra_, Grew Close To The Shore, While A
Kind Of Coreopsis, Turning Its Brazen Face To The Sun, Full And
Rank, And A Tall Dull Red Flower, _Eupatorium Purpureum_, Or
Trumpet-Weed, Formed The Rear Rank Of The Fluvial Array.
The
bright blue flowers of the soap-wort gentian were sprinkled here
and there in the adjacent meadows, like
Flowers which Proserpine
had dropped, and still farther in the fields or higher on the
bank were seen the purple Gerardia, the Virginian rhexia, and
drooping neottia or ladies'-tresses; while from the more distant
waysides which we occasionally passed, and banks where the sun
had lodged, was reflected still a dull yellow beam from the ranks
of tansy, now past its prime. In short, Nature seemed to have
adorned herself for our departure with a profusion of fringes and
curls, mingled with the bright tints of flowers, reflected in the
water. But we missed the white water-lily, which is the queen of
river flowers, its reign being over for this season. He makes
his voyage too late, perhaps, by a true water clock who delays so
long. Many of this species inhabit our Concord water. I have
passed down the river before sunrise on a summer morning between
fields of lilies still shut in sleep; and when, at length, the
flakes of sunlight from over the bank fell on the surface of the
water, whole fields of white blossoms seemed to flash open before
me, as I floated along, like the unfolding of a banner, so
sensible is this flower to the influence of the sun's rays.
As we were floating through the last of these familiar meadows,
we observed the large and conspicuous flowers of the hibiscus,
covering the dwarf willows, and mingled with the leaves of the
grape, and wished that we could inform one of our friends behind
of the locality of this somewhat rare and inaccessible flower
before it was too late to pluck it; but we were just gliding out
of sight of the village spire before it occurred to us that the
farmer in the adjacent meadow would go to church on the morrow,
and would carry this news for us; and so by the Monday, while we
should be floating on the Merrimack, our friend would be reaching
to pluck this blossom on the bank of the Concord.
After a pause at Ball's Hill, the St. Ann's of Concord voyageurs,
not to say any prayer for the success of our voyage, but to
gather the few berries which were still left on the hills,
hanging by very slender threads, we weighed anchor again, and
were soon out of sight of our native village. The land seemed to
grow fairer as we withdrew from it. Far away to the southwest
lay the quiet village, left alone under its elms and buttonwoods
in mid afternoon; and the hills, notwithstanding their blue,
ethereal faces, seemed to cast a saddened eye on their old
playfellows; but, turning short to the north, we bade adieu to
their familiar outlines, and addressed ourselves to new scenes
and adventures.
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