all were of one piece. Sometimes, instead of scarlet, the spiral wreath
is of a golden yellow.

Within the verge of the meadow, mostly near the firm shore of pasture
ground, I found several grapevines, hung with an abundance of large
purple grapes. The vines had caught hold of maples and alders, and
climbed to the summit, curling round about and interwreathing their
twisted folds in so intimate a manner that it was not easy to tell the
parasite from the supporting tree or shrub. Sometimes the same vine had
enveloped several shrubs, and caused a strange, tangled confusion,
converting all these poor plants to the purpose of its own support, and
hindering their growing to their own benefit and convenience. The broad
vine-leaves, some of them yellow or yellowish-tinged, were seen
apparently growing on the same stems with the silver-mapled leaves, and
those of the other shrubs, thus married against their will by the
conjugal twine; and the purple clusters of grapes hung down from above
and in the midst so that one might "gather grapes," if not "of thorns,"
yet of as alien bushes.

One vine had ascended almost to the tip of a large white-pine, spreading
its leaves and hanging its purple clusters among all its boughs,--still
climbing and clambering, as if it would not be content till it had
crowned the very summit with a wreath of its own foliage and bunches of
grapes. I mounted high into the tree, and ate the fruit there, while the
vine wreathed still higher into the depths above my head. The grapes
were sour, being not yet fully ripe. Some of them, however, were sweet
and pleasant.


September 27th.--A ride to Brighton yesterday morning, it being the day