MILDNESS OF TIIE PAST WINTER. 127 



observer, evidently appearing like a vast basin of many miles in extent, 

 of which this village forms the irregular eastern vent — a sort of outlet for 

 the retreat and settlement of the waters, which in their tumult to escape, 

 threw the mass of the then yielding soil into those commotions and con- 

 tortions, for which it is at this day so remarkable. 



{To be continued.) 



MILDNESS OP THE PAST WINTER. 



BY THOMAS FULLER, ESQ. 



Another winter has passed into the chronicles of time, and few indivi- 

 duals remember one so remarkable for mildness; in fact the autumn which 

 preceded was unattended with the chilliness so usually experienced at the 

 latter part of that season; verdure was much longer sustained, and trees 

 retained their leaves to a later period than usual. Christmas came without 

 its general attributes, and not until the middle of February did stern winter 

 make its presence known. A biting north-easterly wind, accompanied with 

 severe frosts, then came upon us; snow covered the ground, and the dread 

 season became fully developed. 



"Sharp boreas blows, and nature feels decay; 

 Time conquers all, and we must time obey." 



The duration of this severe weather was brief; in a few weeks a sudden 

 change came on. — 



"Through the lurid chambers of the south, 

 "Walked out the joyous Spring." 



My impressions in a ramble through the fields on the 14th. of March, 

 I shall never forget; a complete change had taken place, and the genial 

 warmth of the atmosphere was most grateful to the feelings. Thrushes and 

 other birds, whose singing had been stopped by the late severe weather, 

 had now resumed their songs with some new arrivals, and for the first time 

 this year I beheld the Sky Lark in his aerial flight, and heard with unmixed 

 pleasure his flowing wild notes, as faithful to his task in being the first 

 to proclaim from aloft the coming of the vernal season; then came also 

 for the first time the full note of the Blackbird. Thus are we rapidly 

 approaching the genial Spring. 



"Now on the rural kingdom roves 



Soft pleasure with his laughing train; 

 Love warbles in the vocal groves, 

 And vegetation plants the plain." 



It is grievous to say how much the pleasures of rural excursions are 



