THE RING OF NATURE 



JANUARY 



WAKING AND SLEEPING 



' Dreaming when Dawn's left hand was in the sky, 

 I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry, 



Awake, my little ones, and fill the Cup,~^~ 

 Before Life's liquor in its Cup be dry.' 



OMAR KHAYYAM. 



JUST as there is a false or left-handed dawn 

 to the day, so is January to the year. The 

 birds, the flowers, the animals commonly take 

 an exaggerated view of the lengthening of the first 

 few days after Christmas. Snowdrops, crocus, 

 hellebores and daphnes push up with new vigour 

 or break into blossom at any rate if, as often 

 happens, the dawn of the new year has a few 

 mild days. But afterwards it seems to be realized 

 that the climb of the sun to the Easter equinox 

 is to be a long and a stiff one, and Nature halts 

 or even appears to go back. Midwinter day, 

 if you please, is marked in the calendar not as 

 A 



