28 A GOOD WORD FOR WINTER. 



turns out to be a thoroughly honest fellow, with no non- 

 sense in him, and tolerating none in you, which is a 

 great comfort in the long run. He is not what they 

 call a genial critic ; but bring a real man along with you, 

 and you will find there is a crabbed generosity about 

 the old cynic that you would not exchange for all the 

 creamy concessions of Autumn. "Season of mists and 

 mellow fruitfulness," quotha 1 That 's just it ; Winter 

 soon blows your head clear of fog and makes you see 

 things as they are ; I thank him for it ! The truth is, 

 between ourselves, I have a very good opinion of the 

 whole family, who always welcome me without making 

 me feel as if I were too much of a poor relation. There 

 ought to be some kind of distance, never so little, you 

 know, to give the true relish. They are as good com- 

 pany, the worst of them, as any I know, and I am not a 

 little flattered by a condescension from any one of them; 

 but I happen to hold Winter's retainer, this time, and, 

 like an honest advocate, am bound to make as good a 

 showing as I can for him, even if it cost a few slurs upon 

 the rest of the household. Moreover, Winter is coming, 

 and one would like to get on the blind side of him. 



The love of Nature in and for herself, or as a mirror 

 for the moods of the mind, is a modern thing. The flee- 

 ing to her as an escape from man was brought into 

 fashion by Rousseau ; for his prototype Petrarch, though 

 he had a taste for pretty scenery, had a true antique 

 horror for the grander aspects of nature. He got once 

 to the top of Mont Ventoux, but it is very plain that he 

 did not enjoy it. Indeed, it is only within a century or so 

 that the search after the picturesque has been a safe em- 

 ployment. It is not so even now in Greece or Southern 

 Italy. Where the Anglo-Saxon carves his cold fowl, and 

 leaves the relics of his picnic, the ancient or mediaeval 

 man might be pretty confident that some ruffian would 



