484 THE SHOWER. 



germ ; we adopt the young and tender plant, nurture 

 it during hardships, trials, and difficulties, and hail with 

 delight the unfolding of new leaves and blossoms as 

 it rises to maturity. But beyond the direct pleasures and 

 influences of gardening it is no small gratification to 

 consider that it brings one continually in contact with the 

 beautiful and sublime in nature, and engenders habits 

 of observation and reflection which enable the mind 

 to understand and enjoy them. How rich and varying is 

 the aspect of Nature ! Who can do otherwise than rejoice 

 amid the new-born glories of spring? What fulness and 

 strength are exhibited in the manhood of summer ; what 

 beauty and variety in the mellowed landscapes of autumn ! 

 And even winter is not without its beauties and attrac- 

 tions ; there is much to interest in tracing the ramification 

 of the leafless trees, or in watching the silent spread 

 of frost and snow as it covers them with a mantle of 

 matchless purity. If we turn from the seasons to the 

 different times of the day, fresh sources of contemplation 

 and enjoyment await us ; the leaves and blossoms gemmed 

 with dewdrops in the early morn, and the rich glow 

 of expanded flowers in the twilight at eventide are equally 

 interesting. Then there are new beauties awakened in 

 nature by the appearance of those phenomena known 

 as mists, clouds, and storms. 



Perhaps there is no time at which a garden offers 

 so much that is exhilarating and delightful as immediately 

 after long-deferred rain. The recent dry spring has 

 placed us in a position to receive with more than usual 

 gratitude the boon newly conferred. The long prevalence 

 of dry easterly winds, attended by sunny days and frosty 

 nights, had been little favourable to the progress of 

 vegetation. With what joy, then, did we inhale the first 

 breathings of the soft westerly wind, and with what 

 avidity did the thirsty earth drink in the falling shower ! 

 The denizens of the garden seemed suddenly to awaken 

 with new life and beauty, leaves brightening, flowers 



