MASS. (Middlesex Co.) 1876. Monday Oct. 23 Cloudy with drizzling rain, all day did not go out at all but spent the time in reading & writing letters. Tuesday Oct. 24 Cloudy with frequent rain in A.M. Cleared off last noon and very pleasant in P.M. Had Jim's horse harnessed directly after dinner and took a long drive with Miss Fuller Went first to Walden pond and visited Thoreau's abiding place, thence to Fairhaven cliffs where we remained till sunset, talking and looking out over the glorious landscape. The atmosphere cleared of all haze by the recent rain) revealed distant objects with unusual distinctness, and just before sunset the wind died away completely and the whole lovely scene lay bathed in [crossed out] calm peaceful quiet. So perfectly hushed were all sounds of ordinary prevalence, that the chuck of a chipmunk came distinctly to the ear from the opposite side of the valley below and even the rustling of leaves stirred by his busy ramblings, was faintly audible. Voices of men engaged in collecting some scattered cattle in a pasture across the river and nearly a mile distant, were plainly heard and some few words even distinguished, though they talked in tones not louder than ours. Small Diptera flying over the river were visible at nearly half a miles'