32 
RURAL HOURS. 
walking upon tb ■> ice at two o’clock, when at four on the same 
day — thanks to a high wind — the waters were entirely free. For 
some days now the ice has been lying quite detached from the 
shores, looking all the more unsightly for the narrow border of 
clear blue water encircling the gloomy island. 
E.\plored a simny bank in the woods, with the hope of finding 
a stray ground laurel, but we saw only the buds. Berries were 
very plenty ; it was a perfect bed of the squaw-rine and partridge 
beny. Stout jmung pines threw their branches over the bank, 
and the warm afternoon sun pouring upon trees and plants, 
brought out strongly the aromatic odors of both ; the aii- was 
highly scented with this fresh, wild perfume of the forest. A 
wood of evergreens is generally fragrant ; oiu' own pines and cedars 
are highly so ; even the fallen pine leaves preseiwe their peculiar 
odor for some time. There is an ancient allusion to the fragrance 
of the cedar of Lebanon, in the last chapter of the prophet Hosea, 
who lived in the eighth century before the Christian era ; speaking 
of the mercies God had in store for his people, he says, “ I ^rill 
be as the dew unto Israel ; he shall grow as the lily, and cast 
forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his 
beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon.” 
The little partridge plant is also very aromatic. Like the 
orange-tree, tliis humble plant bears fruit and flowers together ; 
its white cups hanging side by side with the coral berries through 
the mild weather, from early in May to the sharpest frosts in 
October. It is true these plants grow in groups, and, although 
side by side, fruit and flower may belong to different stems ; but 
we have seen the benies and fresh blossoms on the same stalk. 
There is no period of the year when you may not find the benies, 
