FEBRUARY, 1883. 283 



forward to account for their passage across sheets of 

 water. 



Our tropiolum, that in ordinary seasons dies down to 

 the root to start afresh in the spring, has never really gone 

 to sleep this season, or at least has early awakened, and 

 is now alive far up, and throwing out strong, fresh sprouts, 

 evidently stimulated to unusual exertions by the masses 

 of strong snowdrops below and the primroses blooming 

 under the neighbouring hedge. We should not have 

 considered this almost unprecedented season of storm 

 and rain to have been so mild as this indicates ; but let 

 us stroll round to the back garden and we shall find 

 otherwise. The scrambling tendrils of the bramble have 

 wandered within a couple of months or so from the foot 

 of the enclosing dyke, and have reached quite 10 feet in 

 length during the winter ! Not sickly, weakly sprouts, 

 but strong, vigorous growths demanding vigorous mea- 

 sures to eradicate. These are sufficiently remarkable 

 evidences of the forcing character of the season. 



What is sympathy ? and is there really a mental and 

 physical necessity created for the presence of a kindly 

 piece of animated nature to which we are accustomed ? 

 Of this class of feeling must be that desperate home-sick- 

 ness felt so keenly by many, as if even inanimate nature 

 and its associations bound their spirits by an indissoluble 

 bond. An old and kindly crofter, whose old horse has 

 long been his constant companion on the farm and the 

 road, recently fell sick, and after he had been a few days 

 in bed, a friend met the old horse with its head in at the 

 door, neighing a sympathetic query as to the why and 

 wherefore of his master's detention. " Why tarrieth your 

 weary foot, and wherefore is your friendly voice heard no 

 more in the stable ? " it seemed to ask, The incident 



