IX A NATURAL NEW ENGLANDER 269 



still quite perfect, and even the woodchuck's sys- 

 tem of life has room for improvement. As it 

 sends him to bed at the autumnal equinox, so it bids 

 him awake at the vernal equinox, and this is too 

 early in modern New England. They say that he 

 often comes out even earlier, — some will tell you 

 on Candlemas Day, and others on St. Valentine's 

 Day (sometimes called Woodchuck Day by the 

 Yankees, who do not take much stock in foreign 

 saints) ; then he looks for his shadow, and if he 

 can see it he takes it as a sign that he would better 

 return to his bed. 



" The festive ground-hog wakes to-day, 



And with reluctant roll 

 He waddles up his sinuous way 



And pops forth from his hole. 

 He rubs his little blinking eyes 



So heavy from long sleep. 

 That he may read the tell-tale skies — 



Which is it — wake or sleep ? 



" And next he turns three times around, 



For it is written so, 

 That if his shadow 's on the ground 



Or outlined in the snow. 

 He fain must tumble in again, 



For so tradition says. 

 And snooze away down in his den 



For forty more long days." 



That is the way a poet of the newspaper-corner 

 expresses it; but I have never beheld such an 



