OLD ALMANACS. 33 



event or a great disaster, as fire or shipwreck, it 

 passes almost directly out of mind, and its mag- 

 nitude dwindles in comparison to some lesser 

 event with which the world's history was con- 

 nected. And the moral of all this is : keep a 

 diary, swear only by it, and give nothing more 

 than a respectful hearing to unlettered histori- 

 ans and weather prophets. 



But if the people have changed, the country 

 has not ; and from the same woodland alma- 

 nac from which they drew their facts we can 

 draw ours. Can any one read it aright? Ver- 

 ily, is not Nature a tricksy author ? There are 

 the flowers that many a town dweller thinks 

 truly report the seasons. Pshaw ! Away up 

 in Massachusetts, Bradford Torrey found over 

 seventy plants in bloom during a November 

 afternoon ; and full well I know of a meadow 

 where violets, bluets, dandelions, and blue-curl 

 can be gathered, even at Christmas, and all the 

 year round, when we have, as now (i889~'9o) a 

 typical open winter. 



What of the birds ? For of these and blos- 

 soms is a naturalist's year made up. The wood- 

 land almanac goes for little so far as they are 

 concerned unless, indeed, you have a trained 

 ear for varying twitters. Bird music is never 

 lacking, and I have long held it an open ques- 

 tion if we may not spare the thrush, when there 



