30 Walks in New England 



The Hylas Voice is Heard in the Land 



THE last Sunday in Lent was the first 

 Sunday in Lent to assume in its exterior 

 phases, as a day of the grace of God in 

 Nature, that truly joyous aspect which belongs to 

 a feast day, as all the Sundays in Lent are feast 

 days by the church reckoning. So far as the 

 common feeble mortal is concerned, he wants the 

 sun to shine if his mood is to be festal. The 

 morning indications were all for rain before the 

 day should end, bright though it began ; but the 

 wind shifted to northwest, without much increase 

 of cold, and the splendid sun ruled the day to a 

 fine sunset. There will be many other perfect 

 days, in the hastening advance of summer, and 

 beyond ; but Easter itself will be rare, indeed, 

 if it equals the transcendent beauty of yester 

 day, when life informed the air, the earth, the 

 birds, the marsh-king s courtiers hyla and croak 

 ing frog ; and breathed low beneath the ground 

 the summons of bloom. Every character of 



