A Book of the Seasons: September 10.

September 10.

After the long drought

this overcast rainy day

the grass looks greener.

September 10, 1854

A rosaceous tinge

by the bank of the river –

maples a mile off.

September 10, 1857

Dew on a fine grass

white and silvery as frost

seen against the sun.

September 10, 1860

Clear drop at each end 

lesser beads along the stems –

dew like a cobweb.  

September 10, 1860

Sooner or later

every plant has its day --

however humble. 

September 10, 1860

Maples a mile off
by the bank of the river,
a rosaceous tinge.
September 10, 1857

Dew like a cobweb

a clear drop at the end and

beads along the stems.  

September 10, 1860

However humble
this plant and almost every
plant thus has its day .
September 10, 1860

Seen against the sun

white and silvery as frost --

dew on a fine grass,
September 10, 1860

Dew on a fine grass 

white and silvery as frost --

the newly risen sun.

September 10, 1860

The grass looks greener
this overcast rainy day
after the long drought.
September 10, 1854

September 10, 2017

There was a frost this morning.  September 10, 1860

vLeaving Lowell at 7 A. M. in the cars, I observed and admired the dew on a fine grass in the meadows, which was almost as white and silvery as frost when the rays of the newly risen sun fell on it. September 10, 1860

Some of it was probably the frost of the morning melted. September 10, 1860

I saw that this phenomenon was confined to one species of grass, which grew in narrow curving lines and small patches along the edges of the meadows or lowest ground, grass with very fine stems and branches, which held the dew; September 10, 1860

Owing to the number of its а very fine branches, now in their prime, it holds the dew like a cobweb,-a clear drop at the end and lesser drops or beads all along the fine branches and stems.  September 10, 1860

Seen toward the sun not long after sunrise, it is very conspicuous and bright a quarter of a mile off, like frostwork. September 10, 1860

It is only a grass that is in its full vigor, as well as fine-branched (capillary), that can thus attract and uphold the dew. September 10, 1860

And thus this plant has its day. September 10, 1860

Almost every plant, however humble, has thus its day, and sooner or later becomes the characteristic feature of some part of the landscape or other. September 10, 1860

Standing by Peter's well, the white maples by the bank of the river a mile off now give a rosaceous tinge to the edge of the meadow. September 10, 1857

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau
"A book, each page written in its own season,
out-of-doors, in its own locality."

~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2015