MARCH $ I 



neither stiff nor heavy, but full of the 

 lightest grace. 



MARCH 2 1 . Spring began this morning * 

 before 6 A.M. The tame robin sang such 

 a brilliant brief fantasia in the magnolia just 

 outside my window, that when the shutters 

 were opened it was a surprise to see heavy 

 snow falling. Snow is as good as change 

 of scene to us home-keeping folk. Our 

 view from the windows is transformed. 

 The large Ilex oak drooping under its 

 load of snow looks more like a yew, or 

 some kind of fir tree. The outline and 

 character of the Stone pine is entirely 

 changed. 'Deborah' and the sun dial 

 stand out boldly sculptured in black and 

 white, as every day they certainly are not. 

 The parterre with its crocuses is gone; 

 the grass and the walks are nowhere. 

 Branching elms in the background are 

 almost as much increased in size by the 

 snow crystalising over every slender twig, 

 as in summer by their leafy millions. But 

 all this proved only a dissolving view : by 

 noon the grass appeared again, green as 

 * Spring is said to commence 2 1st March. 



