36 
There are few persons to whom the return of Spring is not 
a source of delight. Even to the denizens of the dim and noisy 
town its approach is welcome, as bringing a promise of clean 
streets and fair weather, and offering the chance of an occasional 
peep of blue sky between the tall houses. But to the dwellers 
in pleasant countiy places, where the hills and dales are Nature’s 
own—where the wide heaven is imsmirched by smoke, and 
the air is pure and bright, and fragi’ant with the springing 
Flowers and the fresh eartli j where the birds are flitting gail}- 
around, and trilling forth songs of liberty and love;—to all 
whose lives may happily be passed among such scenes how 
glorious is the Spring-time ! 
How exhilarating are the first few warmer days—how 
joyously we fling aside portions of our cumbrous winter¬ 
walking attire, to ramble along “ by hedge-row elms and 
hillocks green; ” and, after the first small buds have burst forth 
on the branches, how anxiously we watch their gi’ovvth, and 
fancy we may see the leaves expanding in the genial sunshine, 
and clothmg the skeleton forms of winter with robes of young 
vernal beauty. The general hue of the evergreens, which have' 
so kindly solaced us during the wintry months, seem to acquire 
a more sombre tinge, as the vivid yellow green of the other- 
trees now quite ecliirses their beauty, although, when the 
young shoots of firs and cedars are put forth, the alternation 
of colour in them is very striking. 
The birds are now busy, too, and musically clamorous; hun¬ 
dreds of them are warbling, and chirping, and chattering at 
once, yet in their mingled voices we hear no discord. It is 
