midday
But it so happened that there were several trees of native or ungrafted fruit on the place , and these supplied the children and the birds for many days thereafter . The robins never ceased gorging themselves . Indeed , they were degenerating into shameless _ gourmands _ , and losing the grace of song , as were also the bobolinks in the meadows . Already there was a perceptible decline in the morning and evening minstrelsy of all the birds , and , with the exception of calls and twitterings , they grew more and more silent through the midday heat . With the white bloom of the chestnut-trees the last trace of spring passed away . Summer reached its supreme culmination , and days that would not be amiss at the equator were often followed by nights of breathless sultriness . Early in the month haying and harvest were over , and the last load that came down the lane to the barn was ornamented with green boughs , and hailed with acclamations by the farm hands , to whom a generous supper was given , and something substantial also to take home to their families .