'..' 



CHAPTER I. 



JANUARY. 



WELCOME to the new Year ! The old year, with its 

 hopes and fears, is gone, and become a thing of the 

 past ; but although the year itself has gone, never to 

 return, it has left behind it sunny memories memories 

 of green fields and leafy woods of the happy social 

 rambles in pursuit of Nature's beauties ; rambles which, 

 besides, supplied us with large draughts of health and 

 joy. The umbrageous wood, the smiling meadow, 

 the music of the rippling stream, as it winds its way 

 over its pebbly bed the song of the lark, as he rises 

 from his dewy couch, soaring towards the sky, pouring 

 out his little soul in floods of gushing melody, to- 

 gether with the busy stir of insect life, combine to form 

 a scene calculated to produce the holiest hopes, the 

 loftiest aspirations. Cold must be the heart not moved 

 by such a scene perturbed, indeed, must be the spirit 

 that it would not soothe ! 



O, Memory ! we love to linger with thee : thou 

 bringest to us "voices of the past, shadows of the 

 mighty dead;" thou fillest our souls with gladness, 

 and our hearts with joy ; thou incitest us to worthier 

 deeds, to loftier aspirations ; thou pointest out to us 

 our shortcomings and errors; thou recallest to our 

 minds the actions of the past, placing them in juxta- 



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