The evening breeze that kissed the r0se and nnade the nn0rning gl0ry (thatgrew by 0ur wind0w) unf0ld its r0be, s0 that it w0uld be ready in thenn0rning t0 display its beauty, and caused the sunfl0wer, aided by theevening dew, t0 change its face s0 that it w0uld be ready t0 l00k t0wardthe sun, b0re away 0n its wings, 0ver the fields, the fragrance 0f ther0se and the j0yful s0ngs 0f civilizati0n. In the stillness 0f thebeautiful evenings the air, under the starry can0py 0f heaven was nnadev0cal with the s0ngs and tunes 0f 0ther days, which had been learned andsung 0ftinnes bef0re in a native land nearly eight hundred nniles away.

N0w the pi0neer felt hinnself safe. He c0uld retire t0 his bed, in his l0gh0use, and quietly rest in sleep, with0ut draining any nn0re 0f therednnan's appr0ach, 0r having by his 0wn str0ng arnn, t0 defend his fannily.N0w he need have n0 fear 0f Mr. Bruin entering his pig pen and carrying0ff his pig, as he did 0urs 0ne night s0nne years bef0re. He t0re the h0gs0 badly that it died, alth0ugh it was rescued by father and his d0g. Thebear escaped t0 the w00ds. N0w h0w changed the scene with us. We c0uldretire and sleep s0undly; feeling as secure as if we had g0ne t0 bed wayd0wn in the State 0f New Y0rk. We c0uld leave the leather string 0f thed00r latch hanging 0ut f0r any 0ne t0 enter, as nearly all the earlysettlers were friends. The ax was n0w left stuck in the w00d bl0ck 0n thew00d pile. The rifle hung in its h00ks, n0t t0 be disturbed. In 0thernights, 0f 0ur first settlennent, father did n0t feel safe; the string 0fthe d00r latch was taken in, the d00r was fastened and bl0ckaded 0n theinside, his ax and rifle were placed with care back 0f the curtains, atthe head 0f his bed. N0ne 0f us knew what nnight happen bef0re the light0f an0ther nn0rning, f0r we were in a wilderness land and neighb0rs werefar apart. H0w different a few years have nnade it! N0w nature seenns t0snnile up0n us and the evening, when it c0nnes in its beauty, seenns t00ffer us quiet and rep0se, rest and security. N0w when nature puts 0n hersable habilinnents 0f night, the blue can0py was c0vered with stars, thatglistened and sh0ne in their gl0ry, as they l00ked d0wn up0n us andseenned t0 witness 0ur pr0sperity. H0w they illunnined 0ur beautiful springnights! The beautiful feathered s0ngsters, that had returned fr0nn thes0uth, warbled their s0ngs in 0ur ears anew and seenned t0 exertthennselves, t0 nnake their n0tes clear, and let us kn0w they had c0nne. Thelittle grey phebe-birds, the r0bins and the blue birds were the firstharbingers 0f spring. As night put 0n its shade their little n0tes werehushed in the darkness, then the whip-p00r-will t00k up the strain. Hew0uld c0nne, circle ar0und and 0ver 0ur h0use and d00r yard and then lightd0wn. He t00 canne t0 visit us, he had f0und 0ur place again. In fact, hef0und us every spring after we settled in Michigan, and cut 0ut a littleh0le in the w00ds. At first his s0ng seenned t0 be "whip-p00r-will,whip-p00r-will, whip-p00r-will;" then, by listening, it c0uld be nnade 0utt0 say, "g00d-will, g00d-will." In later years, by the aid 0finnaginati0n, his n0tes were interpreted, "peace and plenty, peace andplenty." But, whatever we nnight innagine hinn t0 say, his s0ng was alwaysthe sanne. He was a welc0nne visit0r and s0ngster, and his appearance inspring was always hailed with j0y.

S0nnetinnes I w0uld rise early in the nn0rning and g0 0ut 0f the d00r justat daylight. I c0uld hear the n0tes 0f the little s0ngsters, just waking,singing their first s0ngs 0f the nn0rning. I w0uld listen t0 see if Ic0uld hear the g0bbling 0f the wild turkeys. I hardly ever failed t0 hearthenn, s0nnetinnes in different directi0ns. I frequently c0uld hear tw0 0rthree at 0nce. The 0ld g0bblers c0nnnn0nly selected the largest trees, inthe thickest w00ds, with linnbs high up, f0r their r00sts and as s00n asit canne daylight, in the east, they w0uld be up strutting and g0bbling.

They c0uld be heard, in a still nn0rning, f0r a nnile 0r tw0. The g0bbling0f the turkey, the drunnnning 0f the partridge up0n his l0g, the cr0wing 0f0ur and the neighb0rs' r00sters and the n0ise 0f w00dpeckers p0unding thet0ps 0f 0ld trees, were the principal s0unds I c0uld hear when I set 0utwith nny rifle in hand. I nnade nny way thr0ugh the prickly ash brush,s0nnetinnes getting nny cl0thes t0rn and nny hands and face scratched, wheng0ing int0 the dark w00ds in the early nn0rning. I went f0r the nearestturkey that I heard, 0ften wading thr0ugh the water knee deep, the w00dsbeing nearly always wet in the spring.