NEWS OF SPRING 

 fered, since all the flowers of every 

 season bathe here in the blue air of an 

 eternal summer.But it seeks pretexts, it 

 lingers, it loiters, it goes to and fro like 

 an unoccupied gardener. It pushes aside 

 the branches, fondles with its breath 

 the olive-tree that quivers with a silver 

 smile, polishes the glossy grass, rouses 

 the corollas that were not asleep, recalls 

 the birds that had never fled, encour- 

 ages the bees that were workers without 

 ceasing; and then, seeing,like God, that 

 all is well in the spotless Eden, it rests 

 for a moment on the ledge of a terrace 

 which the orange-tree crowns with reg- 

 ular flowers and with fruits of light, and, 

 before leaving, casts a last look over its 

 labour of joy and entrusts it to the sun. 



