THE SLEEPERS 409 



theless the skylark is singing, the partridge is paired, 

 the celandine, dog's-mercury, and hazel are in bloom. 

 There is a difference of forty-five days between the 

 calendar midwinter and the solstice. On glancing 

 through a record of first and last appearances we 

 find that the bee's midwinter is January 5, the 

 pipistrelle bat's January 30, the swallow's January 7, 

 the chiff-chaffs January 3, and the wasp's January 8. 

 Optimists all. The lengthening day is a fact and a 

 hope that outweighs the cold inertia of the earth. 

 Even the earth things feel the turning again towards 

 the sun, for from Christmas Day forth the herbs one 

 after another put out leaves and blossom. The 

 helebore begins to shoot up baby green ; the spurge- 

 laurel is visibly preparing its pale flowers, to be 

 followed by the bright pink of its near relative, the 

 mezereon ; the snowdrops are up, and the crocuses 

 have nearly an inch of leaves tied in a sheaf for 

 the protection of the glory that they enfold. Perhaps 

 these precocious blossoms are responsible for the 

 early rising of the bee ; perhaps they are due to 

 the bee's industrious gardening. In the end there 

 is no caller-up but the sun, and every spring (or 

 must we say winter?) proves that quite a small 

 whisper suffices for many of the sleepers. 



