CHAPTER IV 



THE HEART's-EASE. 



The winter of 1833-4 — by courtesy a winter — 

 will long be remembered by florists, as having 

 afforded them an unlooked-for feast. Its approach 

 was heralded by such awful prognostications, found- 

 ed like those of old, on the flight of birds, and other 

 omens alike infallible and innumerable, interpreted 

 by the most experienced seers — all tending to es- 

 tablish the interesting fact, that an early, long-con- 

 tinued winter of the keenest severity was about to 

 commence its reign over us — that we began instinc- 

 tively to examine our coal-cellers, number our blank- 

 ets, and canvass the merits of rival furriers. Not 

 being accustomed to place implicit confidence in that 

 peculiar gift called weather-wisdom, I was exposed 

 to many rebukes, by my temerity in not removing 

 some tender plants, which were doomed to hope- 

 less annihilation, by the aforesaid prognosticators 

 if left to brave the coming season, in its unparallel- 





