ROGERS SPRING-TIME AMONG THE TREES 195 



"Oh, nicely, thank you," said she, fluttering her soft clusters of 

 needles a little. "It was not really dull, because I had all the 

 Arbor Vitae Hedge for company, you know, and of course they 

 harbor a great many of the Winter Birds, so there's plenty of 

 conversation, and it's mighty lucky for the Birds that the Hedge 

 has grown so thick and large. And you can't imagine how lovely 

 those Evergreens look after each snowstorm, when they are covered 

 with a thick white fleecy fall ! It looks as if a lot of little downy 

 clouds had settled down on them! Even our great Spruce that 

 stands so like a sentinel, really looks handsome when he has that 

 white great-coat on! And you should see yourselves with ice 

 covering every branch and the Sun shining on you, if you want 

 to be in Fairyland! Old Spruce sometimes condescends to talk 

 too, but he's such a pessimist, with his drooping branches, that 

 he rather puts a damper on any of our games. He's very deaf 

 or I wouldn't venture to say this, as his feelings and temper are 

 very prickly. He tells us he shelters the Birds too, and provides 

 them with good cones to eat, which I must confess is more than 

 I do yet, but he's not very agreeable socially, he's so stiff. Now 

 I like those gay Larches, over across the street, they're so lively, 

 ^and we send lots of messages back and forth by the Chickadees, 

 who really make themselves very useful. Altogether, we've 

 kept pretty good watch over the place while the Family were 

 away and you were all resting, but I'm very glad that time is 

 over! Now I shall soon have plenty to laugh at, watching the 

 Birds splash about in their bath that our young Gentleman made for 

 them, just below the well where the water can run in every time 

 any one pumps. The Robins love that, and then they fly up on 

 top of the Swing and prune themselves an^ chirp their loudest. 

 That Swing is a great platform for orators and singers. When 

 the Cat-bird isn't there, making things lively with his comical 

 chatter, the Song-Sparrow takes a turn at it, and he is the sweet- 

 est singer of all!" 



The Flowering Cherry now gave a pleasant laugh, and began 

 to prepare the little double blossoms that she hung all over her 

 head like white curls for the Spring Festival, in good seasons 

 when she was feeling well. She was rather old and very portly, 

 so she didn't always dress up, but when she did she made a 

 very pretty picture. The children loved her because she was a 



