noon
On the North Side , in Washington Square , along the Lake-shore Drive , all up and down the Lincoln Park Boulevard , and all through Erie , Huron , and Superior streets , through North State Street , North Clarke Street , and La Salle Avenue , the minute sparkling of green flashed from tree top to tree top , like the first kindling of dry twigs . One could almost fancy that the click of igniting branch tips was audible as whole beds of yellow-green sparks defined themselves within certain elms and cottonwoods . Every morning the sun invaded earlier the east windows of Laura Dearborn 's bedroom . Every day at noon it stood more nearly overhead above her home . Every afternoon the checkered shadows of the leaves thickened upon the drawn curtains of the library . Within doors the bottle-green flies came out of their lethargy and droned and bumped on the panes . The double windows were removed , screens and awnings took their places ; the summer pieces were put into the fireplaces .