Postlude 
after a brief period of ‘‘ frost, of storm, and 
cloudiness,’’ the soft, reviving glow of spring 
will overspread the sky, and the southern ocean 
will send back its waves—waves of thrushes, 
finches, warblers, and the rest—birds of wood- 
land, shore, and sea; many of them doubly 
welcome as old friends, with here and there a 
stranger in the throng to give the zest of nov- 
elty ; and, as courier of all the host, like a bene- 
diction of dying Winter on the head of Spring, 
Hope’s special messenger—the song sparrow ! 
343 
