76 HILLSIDE, ROCK, AND DALE 



procession to show its petals. On the greensward 

 of the less -frequented paths, its hundreds of tiny 

 white flowers, peeping from amongst a mass of 

 emerald green, tell us, in common with the wren's 

 song, that spring is fast approaching. Then with 

 the increasing sunshine comes the lesser celandine. 

 This, the brightest of spring's first flowers, always 

 appeals to us, and each can with the poet say:; 



" There's a flower that shall be mine, 

 Tisthe little celandine." 



And why? Because it is the gayest forerunner of 

 the fuller resurrection from winter death which is 



yet to come. The 

 first scenes in a great 

 pageant always attract 

 extra attention, and 

 although they may 

 be of less account 

 compared with the 

 greater things to 

 follow, they always 

 command the notice 

 of onlookers ; and so 

 it is with the passing 

 of the seasons. The 

 wren's song, petals 

 of chickweed, the 

 yellow star-like discs of the celandine, and the cooing 



COAL-TIT 



