CLIMATE, SEASONS, ETC. 



1818. 



March 20. England as here, though not so absolutely ne 

 cessary. I shall communicate these in another 

 part of my work, under the head of gardening. 



21. Same weather. The day like a fine May-day in 

 England. I am writing without fire, and in my 

 waistcoat without coat. 



22. Rain all last night, and all this day. 



23. Mild and fine. A sow had a litter of pigs in the 

 leaves under the trees. Judge of the weather by this. 

 The wind blows cold ; but, she has drawn together 

 great heaps of leaves, and protects her young ones 

 with surprising sagacity and exemplary care and 

 fondness. 



24. Same weather. 



25. Still mild and fair. 



26. Very cold wind. We try to get the sow and pigs 

 into the buildings. But the pigs do not follow, and 

 we cannot, with all our temptations of corn and all 

 our caresses, get the sow to move without them by 

 her side. She must remain till they choose to 

 travel. How does nature, through the conduct of 

 this animal, reproach those mothers, who cast off 

 their new-born infants to depend on a hireling s 

 breast ! Let every young man, before he marry, 

 read, upon this subject, the pretty poem of Mr. 

 ROSCOE, called &quot; the NURSE &quot; ; and, let him also 

 read, on the same subject, the eloquent, beautiful, 

 and soul-affecting passage, in Rousseau s &quot; Emile.&quot; 



27. Fine warm day. Then high wind, rain, snow, and 

 hard frost before morning. 



28. Hard frost. Snow 3 inches deep. 



29. Frost in the night ; but, all thawed in the day, and 

 very warm. 



30. Frost in night. Fine warm day. 



31. Fine warm day. As the winter is now gone, let us 

 take a look back at its inconveniences compared with 

 those of an English Winter. We have had three 

 months of it ; for, if we had a few sharp days in 

 December, we have had many very fine and without 

 fire in March. In England winter really begins in 

 November, and does not end till Mid-March. 

 Here we have greater cold : there four times as much 

 wet. I have had my great coat on only twice, except 

 when sitting in a stage, travelling. I have had 

 gloves on no oftener ; for, I do not, like the Clerks 

 of the Houses of Boroughmongers, write in gloves. 

 I seldom meet a waggoner with gloves or great coat 

 on. It is generally 50 dry. This is the great friend 



35 



