A SNOWY LANDSCAPE. 99 



which are thrown into especial relief by the 

 general stillness prevailing the sound of a 

 passing train down below, the songs of birds, 

 above which the blackbird and the thrush carol 

 melodiously are striking and impressive. But 

 the wild Box, the line of which on the hill we 

 have now reached, is not suggestive of mid- Win- 

 ter, for it is still fresh and verdant and glossy, 

 and in the axils of its leaves are little golden - 

 green bunches of buds floral precursers. Still 

 gradually ascending we wind round over the hill 

 to the right, and look down from that point 

 upon the spreading country. 



It is not far to the crest of the hill ; but just 

 before we reach its summit, where a seat is placed 

 to afford both a resting-place and a point of view, 

 we pass under the wide-extending boughs of 

 Beeches which surround a glade on the hill-top ; 

 and here we may get a peep of sylvan beauty, 

 rarely to be obtained. The ground on which we 

 stand is white with snow, which covers the steeply- 

 sloping hill-side. Just in front are shrubs of 

 Box and Yew. On both sides of us and in front 

 are scattered Beeches, whose trunks, limbs and 

 H 2 



