OCTOBEE. 477 



by the touch of an enchanter's wand : the scowling 

 tempest has exhausted itself the wayward wailing 

 child is cradled to rest. Yet hush ! for a sound may 

 awaken it again to increased squalling and commotion 

 let us then enjoy the momentary respite. A reek- 

 ing fog now rests its grey folds in dull sameness over 

 the vast surface of silent nature. It conceals (as a 

 moralist might say) beneath that damp but opaque 

 curtain, crimes never to be revealed in this world ; 

 cares, sighs, anguish, that are well concealed for they 

 would be known in vain to the heartless throng 

 what stragglings, what throbs, mental and bodily, 

 what hopes, what aspirations, are not hid beneath 

 that sea of vapour ! But all must go on for, as Miss 

 EDGEWOETH says, " amidst the most interesting scenes 

 dinner comes on the table as usual," so moralizing 

 is useless, the fog rises in mid air, the rooks vociferate 

 in cawing chorus as they journey through it to break- 

 fast ; it invests the solemn deptli of parti-coloured 

 woods as it stalks gloomily along, then encamps along 

 some ledge of limestone heights finely relieved upon a 

 sky of cloudless azure, and at last is lost by rapid 

 movements through a rocky pass beyond which its 

 misty squadrons drive away from view. 



The fall of the leaf, the different hues assumed by 

 the foliage of various trees, and the order in which 

 they are disrobed, is a subject of curious observation, 

 and it may not be uninteresting to pay some attention 

 thereto, especially as at this period the Flora conspicua 

 pausea in its career the garden has scarcely any new 

 glories to produce, and although a few impatient 

 plants hastily and foolishly make an effort to antedate 

 the spring, like some young misses "coming out" too 



