THE COMING OF SPRING 



II 



of Violet leaves, with Ladies' Tresses, Moonwort, 

 and Crested Shield Ferns, all grouped around the 

 Gentian ! 



Time o' Year whistled from far up the lane, 

 and as I pulled myself back to the road a small 

 branch struck me lightly across the face. It was 

 a spray of Spice Bush thick with its yellow - 

 stamened flowers, that, 

 coming upon bare twigs, 

 remind one strongly of 

 stunted Witch Hazel 

 bloom. I stooped to free 

 my skirt from Catbrier 

 thorns, and glanced back- 

 ward to where the sun 

 shone full upon the 

 sunken strip of cleared 

 land that caught the brook's overflow. There 

 glistened golden tufts of Marsh Marigold, the first 

 true pledge of the sun to the marshes even as the 

 Dandelion is to the fields. 



Again Time o' Year whistled, and Nell left 

 browsing to fall into a reluctant trot as we went 

 on to join him. He was sitting on a chestnut 

 stump, half a mile further up the lane. Motioning 

 me to tie Nell to some bars at the entrance to the 



