NATURE'S CALENDAR 19 



FEBRUARY 



February, in the northern and mid- February i 



die portions of the Union, is still unin- 

 terrupted winter — often the worst of it. 

 The Romans gave this month that name, 

 meaning "purification," in reference to 

 certain ceremonies and festivals that fell 

 within it; and we still might fancy, when 

 the temperature sinks far below the 

 freezing-point and stays there for days 

 together, and night after night adds a 

 fresh sparkle to the earth's winding sheet 

 of snow, that this was a feast of purifi- 

 cation for nature. In fact, it is so, air, 

 water, and earth being cleansed, disin- 

 fected, made sweet and wholesome by 

 February's cold. 



Nature is still resting and recuperat- 

 ing in the long sleep begun in Decem- 

 ber, but the good that it is doing her we 

 cannot easily see as we walk abroad, un- 

 less we miake careful and continuous 

 observations ; for February, north of 

 the Ohio River, at least, rnust be nearly 

 passed before we can perceive the first 

 "sign of spring" that is openly encour- 

 aging. 



There is plenty of life about, neverthe- 

 less, and as in my essay on January 1 



