12 A MARCH RAMBLE. 



get relief by looking on the tufts of green water- 

 grass along the edges of the stream now set free. 

 Winter wakes again and marshals his strength, but 

 his front is not so vigorous. He sullenly retires 

 before the genial commander of the other side, that 

 moves slowly but steadily forward to victory and 

 the vernal equinox. 



How large the catkin buds on the willows have 

 swollen thus early in the season, and how closely 

 they watch the sun in his march northward! 

 Divest this poplar bud of its impervious scales and 

 see with what wonderful tenderness and care the 

 old dame has clothed the rudimentary blossom. A 

 mouse's fur is not finer than this garment that pro- 

 tects the soft, delicate, larva-like catkin from the 

 sudden changes peculiar to this season. 



At almost every turn in this ramble through the 

 woods I come upon pictures that the artist might 

 choose for the canvas. Nature appears to make 

 no chromatic errors here. Besides the browns and 

 grays and the different shades of spruces, pines 

 and hemlocks, she exhibits many exquisite touches 

 of coloration. The high blackberry stalks are 

 painted a beautiful purple. The young, lithe 

 shoots of the willow shine like lacquered brass. 

 Here is a rare design for a Christmas card : a green- 



