On the Edge of Spring 



breakers. I found the alder-buds swelling 

 beneath their scales, and the catkins of both 

 alders and willows already visible. There 

 was bright green cress in the bed of the 

 brook, and a few spears of green grass 

 lifted themselves out of the loam in a shel- 

 tered, sunny corner of the swamp. Chick- 

 adees were lisping their faint dee-dec-dee in 

 the hemlocks; jays were screaming lustily 

 among the dwarf oaks ; and a yellow-ham- 

 mer sent forth his clarion challenge from 

 the hillside. Everywhere the decomposing 

 snow was black with myriads of tiny, sput- 

 tering snow-lice, that darted hither and 

 thither like sparks out of a fire. Surely, 

 spring was in the air and underfoot! It 

 was good to be abroad at the first whisper 

 of her coming. 



Such signs would mean little, if they did 

 not mean so much. In themselves they 

 carry little of positive assurance of spring. 

 But who could receive them, in the full 

 consciousness of their prophetic significance, 

 without a thrill of joy that was almost ec- 

 static? They tell us that nature is waking 

 from her deathlike sleep, that her chains 

 are crumbling, and that soon she will rise 



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