MARCH 



I HAT a peculiar pleasure there is in 

 finding the very first signs of life in 

 all its forms, as they appear after 

 the coldness, the barrenness, and the 

 silence of the long winter ! How fair and 

 sweet looks the newly discovered anemone amid 

 its coarse surroundings, and the earliest robin- 

 song has a glorified sound. 



It is indeed a thoughtful provision of nature 

 that periodically the current of life should so 

 generally stop its flow, or at least be lost to 

 sight, so that with each new year the earth's 

 reinvigoration shall appeal with fresh force and 

 delight to our senses. How monotonous the 

 choicest plant and bird would ultimately be- 

 come, if they were always blossoming and 

 singing. The spice of infrequency is nature's 

 great seasoner. Who would hunt so eagerly at 

 each return of spring for the hepatica and arbu- 

 tus, or listen so intently for the song sparrow 

 and bluebird, if he were not seeking long-lost 



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