I declare I 'm all in a Presbyterian . ' '' CHAPTER XXI . DREAMERS OF DREAMS August went out and September came in . Harvest was ended ; and though summer was not yet gone , her face was turned westering . The asters lettered her retreating footsteps in a purple script , and over the hills and valleys hung a faint blue smoke , as if Nature were worshipping at her woodland altar . The apples began to burn red on the bending boughs ; crickets sang day and night ; squirrels chattered secrets of Polichinelle in the spruces ; the sunshine was as thick and yellow as molten gold ; school opened , and we small denizens of the hill farms lived happy days of harmless work and necessary play , closing in nights of peaceful , undisturbed slumber under a roof watched over by autumnal stars . At least , our slumbers were peaceful and undisturbed until our orgy of dreaming began . `` I would really like to know what especial kind of deviltry you young fry are up to this time , '' said Uncle Roger one evening , as he passed through the orchard with his gun on his shoulder , bound for the swamp . We were sitting in a circle before the Pulpit Stone , each writing diligently in an exercise book , and eating the Rev. Mr. Scott 's plums , which always reached their prime of juicy , golden-green flesh and bloomy blue skin in September . The Rev. Mr. Scott was dead and gone , but those plums certainly kept his memory green , as his forgotten sermons could never have done . `` Oh , '' said Felicity in a shocked tone , when Uncle Roger had passed by , `` Uncle Roger SWORE . '' `` Oh , no , he did n't , '' said the Story Girl quickly . '' ` Deviltry ' is n't swearing at all . It only means extra bad mischief . '' `` Well , it 's not a very nice word , anyhow , '' said Felicity . `` No , it is n't , '' agreed the Story Girl with a regretful sigh . `` It 's very expressive , but it is n't nice . That is the way with so many words . They 're expressive , but they 're not nice , and so a girl ca n't use them '' The Story Girl sighed again . She loved expressive words , and treasured them as some girls might have treasured jewels .
To her , they were XXXXX lustrous pearls , threaded on the crimson cord of a vivid fancy .
At OF as by on over though through to until