10 STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



the canopy of trees, or in the deeper shade of the forest. 

 But these languid enjoyments would soon become op- 

 pressive and monotonous ; and the constant participa- 

 tion of them must cause one gradually to degenerate 

 into a mere animal. The human mind is constituted 

 to feel positive pleasure only in action. Sleep and rest 

 are mere negative conditions, to which we submit with 

 a grateful sense of their power to fit us for the renewed 

 exercise of the mind and the body. The pleasures of 

 the inhabitant of southern climes compared with those 

 of the northern man, differ as the pleasures of repose 

 differ from those of action ; and although almost every 

 man feels a sense of regret, when he perceives the ap- 

 proach of winter, I believe, that to the healthy and the 

 hardy, this season is nearly as welcome as summer. 



One of the noted peculiarities of this month when 

 our fathers were living, was the great thaw. In ancient 

 days, when the winter regularly commenced with 

 December and ended with February, this annual thaw 

 seldom failed to visit our climate in the month of 

 January. Since the clearing of the forests, the charac- 

 ter of the seasons is greatly altered. The mean annual 

 temperature remains the same ; but winter has en- 

 croached upon the green boundaries of spring, and 

 often ventures to sprinkle his frosts upon the flowery 

 landscape of June. He has usurped dominion over 

 about five months of the year, during which the cold, 

 lasting but a few days at a time, is constantly alternat- 

 ing with longer spells of mild and thawing weather. 

 Hence there is no month of winter when we may not 

 be visited by a thaw ; and the ices of December may 

 be broken up at Christmas, not to be renewed until 

 March. 



In our latitude at the present time, January is usually 



