FEBBUABY. 



79 



all objects have a dirty and disconsolate aspect. In 

 the country the roads are full of mire, and you have 

 naked hedges, pastures half submersed in water, with 

 dirty patches and loosened stones."* 



It must, indeed, be admitted, that about the close 

 of February a continued thaw brings about all the 

 unpleasantnesses just depicted, the mountains are 

 wreathed with mist, clouds involve the sky, obscure 

 the woods and meads, and every brook is 



" Foaming brown with double speed," t 

 while the garden or grove dripping with the falling 

 torrents, presents only mournful objects for the eye 

 to repose upon. But this humidity is the process 

 that Nature requires, by which sufficient moisture 

 may be stored up in her secret repositories, to form a 

 fund to nourish the numerous flowers that she even 

 now contemplates in embryo, and which she will in 

 due time awaken and produce. Therefore, at present, 

 we will not proceed beyond our tether, but take the 

 seasonable weather that the season itself demands for 

 " Now old Aquarius from his rainie urne, 

 Pours out the streams, and fills both loch and burne ; 

 While Februa, with waterie load opprest, 

 Cracks the crimp ice on Winter's frozen breast ; 

 Then seated on some sunnie brae, she strowes 

 About her feet the Snowdrop and Primrose." 

 And so have we seen them adorning many a "sunny 

 brae" about this time, nor is it easy to depict the 

 beautiful aspect of the Snowdrop, when in a truly 

 wild state, as in some glens of the Malvern hills, 

 where hundreds of its stainless bells droop to earth 

 as if dashed at random by the hand of Flora wide 

 over mead, and bank, and wood. 



* HOWITT'S " Book of the Seasons." f W. SCOTT. 



