midday
In the forest , a couple of miles from the house , several tough old giants -- chiefly oak , chestnut , elm , and beech -- had been marked out for destruction : in some cases because they had been scorched and riven by lightnings , and were an eyesore ; in others , because time had robbed them of their glory , withering their long , desolate arms , and bestowing on their crowns that lusterless , scanty foliage which has a mournful meaning , like the thin white hairs on the bowed head of a very old man . At this distance from the house I could freely indulge my propensity for singing , albeit in that coarser tone which had failed to win favor with my new friends . Among the grand trees , out of earshot of them all , I could shout aloud to my heart 's content , rejoicing in the boisterous old English ballads , which , like John Peele 's view-hallo , _ `` Might awaken the dead Or the fox from his lair in the morning . '' _ Meanwhile , with the frantic energy of a Gladstone out of office , I plied my ax , its echoing strokes making fit accompaniment to my strains , until for many yards about me the ground was littered with white and yellow chips ; then , exhausted with my efforts , I would sit down to rest and eat my simple midday fare , to admire myself in my deep-green and chocolate working-dress , and , above everything , to think and dream of Yoletta . * * * * * In my walks to and from the forest I cast many a wistful look at a solitary flat-topped hill , almost a mountain in height , which stood two or three miles from the house , north of it , on the other side of the river . From its summit I felt sure that a very extensive view of the surrounding country might be had , and I often wished to pay this hill a visit . One afternoon , while taking my lesson in reading , I mentioned this desire to Yoletta .