156 IN A GLOUCESTERSHIRE GARDEN 



In this short sketch I have strictly confined myself 

 to the earliest spring flowers ; indeed, they might 

 almost be ranked as winter flowers, or ' harbingers of 

 spring.' Had I gone further, I should soon have found 

 myself in that wealth of flowers which is seen in April 

 and May, and includes the great families of tulips, 

 hyacinths, violet*, crown imperials, daffodils, even 

 roses, and literally hundreds of other plant*. And 

 even within the narrow limiu I have prescrilxxl to 

 myself, I have by no means exhausted the list of 

 beauties that may be grown, but I have said enough to 

 show that even snow and frost, and dark days and cold 

 nights, will not prevent us, even in our much-abused 

 climate, from having our gardens gay with flowers, 

 which will not only delight us for their Ixjauty, but 

 will also teach us good lessons of hope and thankful- 

 ness. In January the days are dark and cloudy, and 

 the trees are bare and leafless, but not always, and not 

 for long : 



1 Time will bring on summer, 

 When briars shall have leaves as well as thorns, 

 And be AS sweet as sharp.' 



