128 IN SPRING. 



which this " shapeless sculpture " towered ; " you 

 can use your own judgment." Of the weather- 

 cocks seen on our ride there were one deer, two 

 fishes, three arrows, a wild goose, and two gild- 

 ed horses at full gallop, Only the wild goose 

 told the truth, or almost told it. Now, as each 

 farmer judges the weather of the day by the di- 

 rection of the wind, think of bringing the owners 

 of these nine differing weathercocks together ! 

 Each puts implicit faith in his own vane, and we 

 all know what subject is first broached when 

 two or twenty men are gathered together. 

 Something like this would be the classification of 

 the unhappy nine: Two positive clear-weather 

 folk, two hopefully ditto, and five that predicted 

 rain before night. Put it in another way : Four 

 men would think, if they did not call, five men 

 fools; and, all being equally obstinate, there 

 w^puld be the same division whatever was dis- 

 cussed, So, at least, the world wags in one sec- 

 tion of our country. 



There is much more stress laid upon the di- 

 rection of the wind, in this matter of the weather, 

 than is warranted by the facts. Those deadly 

 statistics, that are gall and wormwood to the 

 weather-wise, prove this. Even a northeast wind 

 may blow for three days without one drop of 

 rain. When this happens, we hear of a " dry 

 storm " curious name for bright, clear days, per- 



