An Autumn Reverie 143 



things, I cannot see a child gathering the first violet 

 of Spring, or laughing under Autumn's ruddy fruit- 

 trees, without participating in his pleasure. For me 

 again as for him the clouds are only dark and drifting, 

 shadows diversifying the deep sky's beauty ; the winds 

 blow and the rains fall for his and my amusement, and 

 even the stormy tempests of Winter are a recreation. 

 Though I and my generation pass, and the purpose 

 of our having lived is still inscrutable, yet the bounding 

 life of children, the unperturbed beauty of sunlight, 

 the undivined mystery of existence, are sources of a 

 hope that is the only prophylactic against despond- 

 ency." 



A FARMER'S NOTEBOOK 



A VERY favourite calendar with country folks was 

 ' Rider's British Merlin/ a work adorned with many 

 delightful varieties and useful verities, fitting the 

 longitude and latitude of all capacities within the 

 islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The good 

 compiler, one Cardanus Rider, was no niggard of his 

 information. His geography extended from ' a true 

 and plain description of the highways ' to America 

 ' which consisteth of those two parts Mexicana and 

 Peruana ; ' but chiefly he shone as a chronologist. 

 Would you know the year which saw the flames rise 

 from ' Gomorrovv ' or the Wooden Horse dragged into 



