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The year-book of the country; or, The field, the forest, and the fireside
The yearbook of the country or The field the forest and the fireside Author:William Howitt Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: MARCH. March in his waking strength! The west wind loud, Kising in vigorous and sonorous play, At once has hurried from the heavens away Their s... more »lumb'rous guests of shadow and of cloud. The earth smiles greenly, as if glad and proud To feel the sun-light, faintly though it fall. But what a rich transparency o'er all! Sky, air, and rushing waters are endowed With a surpassing brightness, clear and blue; Flushed are the far woods, and a violet hue Tinges the far horizon! Tis a day That breathes its vigour through heart, soul, and frame, Cares, like the clouds, and pains are chased away— Oh! for a life where each day were the same! Spring is come ! She may, perhaps, at first be mistaken for Winter. She may not at once have taken off her travelling garb and rough wrappings, but here she is. As she begins to throw off one dark and shaggy habiliment after another, we see not our old-fashioned friend, Winter, with his hardy, wrinkled face, and his keen eye, full of cutting jokes, and those horny hands that, in his mere playfulness, nipped us mercilessly by the ear, and often by the nose; but we descry the graceful form of the gentle and gracious Spring. We feel the thrill of her presence, knowing all the beauty and the love that she brings with her. Spring is come! It is March; rough, yet pleasant, vigorous and piping March. It is the month of life, of strength, and hope. We shall soon hear his voice and " the sound of his going in the tops of the trees." His gales will come rushing and sounding over forest and lea, and shake the old trees about our houses with a merry strength. Oh! how different to the solemn fitfulness of autumn, or the wild wrath of winter, and we shall lie in our beds at midnight—and, shall we not? pray for safety t...« less