NETTLE-TOP SOUP. 349 



us of Hood's wicked parody on the opening lines of Thomson's big 

 and bow-wow invocation to the season : 



" ' Come, gentle Spring, ethereal mildness, come ! ' 



0, Thomson, void of sense as well as reason ; 

 Why in our ears such arrant nonsense drum ? 

 There's no such season ! " 



To housewives in rural districts we offer a " wrinkle " that may 

 be found of use at the present season, when most vegetable gardens 

 may be ransacked in vain for delicacies that shall be common 

 enough at a later period. While rambling through the district 

 a few days ago, we chanced to drop in upon a widow lady and 

 daughter, who occupy a nice little cottage. They were going to sit 

 down to an early dinner, and although we were not very hungry, 

 and could have fasted till a later ho'ur, not merely without incon- 

 venience, but from choice, yet on their earnest invitation we 

 sat down along with them. The fare consisted of soup and a 

 boiled fowl, the latter fat, tender, and good as a fowl should always 

 be, and the soup was simply delicious. A green vegetable of some 

 kind floating thickly in it, gave it a relish and gout that was very 

 remarkable, and we asked what it was. " Nettle-tops, sir," was 

 the answer, and had we not been told, it is probable that we should 

 have guessed and blundered long ere we could hit upon it. But 

 not only can nettle-tops be thus utilised as an admirable condiment 

 in soup at this season, but they may also be served up asparagus- 

 wise, and, to our taste, are every whit as good. In this latter form 

 we have eaten them often, and, as Johnson said, after swallowing 

 several platefuls of Scotch broth, in reply to Boswell's observation 

 " You never ate it before 1 " " No, sir, but I don't care how soon I 

 eat it again." And so say we invariably when we have finished 

 a djsh of nettle-top asparagus. After our nettle-top soup it occurred 

 to us that there might be more truth in Goldsmith's remark about 

 the French than he was perhaps aware of, for he meant it as 



