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CHAPTER V. 



MAY. 



MAY has ever been a favourite month ; poets sing its 

 praise, as uniting all the opening beauties of spring with 

 the brightness and radiance of summer, as glowing with 

 flowers, perfumed with sweet odours, and melodious with 

 the cheerful carolling of birds. " Goddess of the spring" 

 is only one among the many nattering epithets applied to it ; 

 and the poet Darwin says, 



" For thee the fragrant zephyrs blow, 



For thee descends the sunny shower ; 

 The rills in softer murmur flow, 



And brighter blossoms gem the bower." 



But the praises lavished so profusely were originally uttered 

 in more southern climates, and in our northern latitude 



