272 NATURAL APPEARAKCES 



useful at all times and seasons of the year. Winter 

 draws nigh ; the flowers are going ; and even when 

 the sun shines, the earth no longer appears with its 

 usual beauty. Yet the country, stripped and desart 

 as it is, still presents to a feeling mind the image of 

 happiness. We may recollect with gratitude to 

 Heaven, that the fields which are now barren were 

 once covered with corn and plentiful harvest. It is 

 true, that the orchards and gardens are now strip- 

 ped, but the remembrance of what they bestowed 

 upon us may make us content to bear the northern 

 blasts which at present we feel so sharp. The 

 leaves are fallen from the fruit trees ; the grass of the 

 field is withered ; dark clouds fill the sky, and fall 

 tn heavy rains- The unthinking man complains at 

 this, but the wise man beholds the earth moistened 

 with rain, and beholds it with a sweej^ satisfaction. 

 Though the earth has lost its beauty and exterior 

 charms, and is exposed to the murmurs of those it 

 has nourished and cheered, it has already begun 

 again to labour secretly within its bosom for their 

 future welfare. 



DECEMBER. 



< No mark of vegetable life is seen, 



Save the dark leaves of some rude ever-green ; 



No bird to bird repeats his tuneful call, 



Save the lone red-breast on the moss-grown wall!" 



THE changes which take place in the fare of na- 

 ture during this month, are little more than so many 



