s, like golden wine out of a bowl. It
was such a day that you could not help saying of it, "There never was
such a day before!" although yesterday was just such a day, and
to-morrow will be just such another. Ah, but there are very few of
them in a twelvemonth's circle! It is a remarkable peculiarity of
these October days, that each of them seems to occupy a great deal of
space, although the sun rises rather tardily at that season of the
year, and goes to bed, as little children ought, at sober six o'clock,
or even earlier. We cannot, therefore, call the days long; but they
appear, somehow or other, to make up for their shortness by their
breadth; and when the cool night comes, we are conscious of having
enjoyed a big armful of life, since morning.

"Come, children, come!" cried Eustace Bright. "More nuts, more nuts,
more nuts! Fill all your baskets; and, at Christmas time, I will crack
them for you, and tell you beautiful stories!"

So away they went; all of them in excellent spirits, except little
Dandelion, who, I am sorry to tell you, had been sitting on a
chestnut-bur, and was stuck as full as a pincushion of its prickles.
Dear me, how uncomfortably he must have felt!

[Illustration]

THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN

[Illustration]

TANGLEWOOD PLAY-ROOM. INTRODUCTORY TO THE PARADISE OF CHILDREN

The golden days of October passed away, as so many other Octobers
have, and brown November likewise, and the greater part of chill
December, too. At last came merry Christmas, and Eustace Bright along
with it, making it all the merrier by his presence. And, the day after
his arrival from college, there came a mighty snow-storm. Up to this
time, the winter had held back, and had given us a good many mild
days, which were like smiles upon its wrinkled visage. The grass had
kept itself green, in sheltered places, such as the nooks of southern
hill-slopes, and along the lee of the stone fences. It was but a week
or two ago, and since the beginning of the month, that the children
had found a dandelion in bloom, on the margin of Shadow Brook, where
it glides out of the dell.

But no more green grass and dandelions now. This was such a
snow-storm! Twenty miles of it might have been visible at once,
between the windows of Tanglewood and the dome of Taconic, had it been
possible to see so far among the eddying drifts that whitened all the
atmosphere. It seemed as if the hills were giants, and were flinging
monstrous hand