THE HEDGE-BANK. 38 



number of years, and is principally composed of 

 decayed vegetable substance, there, in the first or 

 second week in January, and sometimes even ear- 

 lier, you will probably be greeted with a Primrose 

 or two. Should you be thus fortunate, however, 

 you may still have some difficulty in securing 

 your prize ; for the chances are that the earliest 

 flowers peep out temptingly from among dry oak- 

 leaves, and brambles yet retaining a few of last 

 year's leaves, (mottled with white and brown veins 

 and spots, and curled at their edges,) and, alas ! 

 on the further side of a pond, just deep enough to 

 render crossing it a far from pleasant process. It 

 is a hard matter to refrain from wetting one's feet 

 for such a reward ! 



A Primrose in January ! It is worth a whole 

 handful of Snowdrops. Snowdrops are indeed 

 graceful, lovely flowers; but they come only at 

 their regular season, and though aptly called 

 " first offerings of the year," and " harbingers of 

 spring," they are, as their name implies, associated 

 rather with winter than with spring. But a Prim- 

 rose ! a flower of April, greeting us with its pale 

 though lovely tint, in December or January, dis- 

 pels for a while the thought of winter, "with all 

 his rising train vapours, and clouds, and storms," 

 and carries us at once to bright sunny mornings, 

 lengthening days, and light showers, which, if they 

 for a while prevent us from wandering abroad, 

 will make our ramble yet more pleasant when 

 they are at an end. If at any time you wish to 

 gather primroses that you may take them home 

 with you, and keep them in water, do not pluck 

 the flowers only ; for, besides that a mass of flow- 

 ers all of one colour is not nearly so pleasing an 



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