WOODS IN WINTER. 
519 
pale gray shadows falling on the snow. The stillness of the for- 
est is more striking and impressive at this season than at any- 
other ; one may ghde along for miles over some quiet wood-road, 
without seeing or hearing a living thing, not even a bird, or a 
chipmuck. The passing of the sleigh seems almost an intrusion 
on the haunts of silence. 
Dead and shrivelled leaves are still hanging on some trees, here 
and there ; not all the storms of winter have been able to loosen 
their hold on the lower limbs of the beeches ; they cling, also, at 
this late day to some oaks, and hickories, and maples. The wych- 
hazels are oddly garnished, bearing, many of them, their old 
leaves, the open husks of last year's nuts, and the shrivelled yel- 
low flowers of autumn. Within these lies the young fruit, which 
has made but little progress during the last three months. 
Wednesday, 28th. — Delightful day. Pleasant drive on the lake. 
Went on shore at the Cliffs for eggs ; the poultry-yard had quite 
a cheery, spring look. 
Our winters are undoubtedly cold enough, but the Aveather is 
far from being always severe. We have many moderate days, 
and others, even in the heart of winter, which are soft and balmy, 
a warm wind blowing in your face from the south until you won- 
der how it could have found its way over the snow without being 
chilled. People always exclaim that such days are quite extraor- 
dinary, but in truth, there never passes a year without much 
weather that is unseasonably pleasant, if we would but remember 
it. And if we take the year throughout, this sort of weather, in 
all its varieties, will probably be found more favorably divided for 
us than we fancy. It is true there are frosty nights in May, some- 
