FEBRUARY. 33 



opening and shutting of doors and gates, and 

 your gravel-walks resemble saturated sponges. 

 Abroad the streets are flooded with muddy 

 water, and slippery with patches of half-thawed 

 ice and snow, which strike through your shoes 

 in a moment. The houses, and all objects what- 

 ever, have a dirty and disconsolate aspect ; and 

 clouds of dim and smoky haze hover over the 

 whole dispiriting scene. In the country the 

 prospect is not much better : the roads are full 

 of mire. Instead of the enchantments of hoar- 

 frost, you have naked hedges, sallow and decay- 

 ing weeds beneath them, brown and wet pas- 

 tures, and sheets of ice, but recently affording 

 so much fine exercise to skaiters and sliders, 

 half submersed in water, full of great cracks, 

 scattered with straws and dirty patches, and 

 stones half liberated by the thaw : — such are 

 the miserable features of the time. 



Let us felicitate ourselves that such joyless 

 period is seldom of long duration. The winds of 

 March speedily come piping their jovial strains, 

 clearing the face of the blessed heavens from 

 their sullen veil of clouds, and sweeping away 

 the superabundant moisture from earth and air. 

 Oh ! blithe and animating is the breath of March ! 

 It is like a cool but spirit-stirring draught of 

 some ancient vintage ; elating but not enervating 

 the heart ; deadening the memory of past evil, 



D 



