The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-04-21
The Dawn Of Spring.
BY IKE MARVEL.

| love to trace the break of Spring step by
step; | love even those long rain storms thai
sap the icy fortresses of the lingering winter
that melt the SHOWS upon the hills, and swell
the mountain brooks;-that make the pools
heave up their CLASSY ceremants of ice and
hurry down the crashing fragments into the
wastes of the ocean.
l love the gentle thaws that you can trace
day by day, by the stained snow banks shrn-
king from the grass; and by the gentle drip
ofthe cottage caves. love to search out the
sunny slopes by a southern wall, where the
reflected sun does double duty to the earth,
and where the rail anemone or the faint blush
of the arbutus, in the midst of the bleak
March atmosphere, will touch your heart like
hope of Heaven, in field of graves La
ter comes those soft smoky days, when the
patches ofwinter grain show green under the
shelter of leafess woods, and the last snow
drifts reduced to shrunken skeletons of ice,
lie upon the slope Of northern hills, leaking
away their life.
Then, the grass at your door grows into
the color Of the sprouting grain, and the buds
upon the lilacs swell; aud burst. The peach.
es bloom upon the wall, and the plumbs wear
boddices OF white. The sparkling oriole,
picks strings for his hammock on the syca-
more, and the sparrows twit in pairs. The
old elms throw down their dingy flowers, and
cover their spray with green, and the brooks,
where you throw your worm or minnow,
float down whole fleets Of the crimson bios
sons of the maple, Finally, the oaks step
into the opening quadrille of Spring, with
grayish tufts Of modest verdure, which by
and by, will be long and glossy leaves. The
dogwood pitches his broad, white tent, in the
edge ofthe forest, the dondelonslie along the
hillocks, like stars in a sky OF green, and the
wild cherry growing in Il the hedge rows,
without other culture than Gods lifts up to
Him, thankfully, It's tremuIous white finger
Amid all this, comes the rich rains of
Spring The affections. of boy grow up
with tears to water them; and the year bios
SONS with flowers But the clouds hover o.
yer an April sky, timidly--like shadows up
on innocence. The showers come gently
and drop daintily to the earth-with now
and then glimpse of sunshine to make the
drops bright-like so many tears Of joy.
The rain of winter is cold; and it comes
in bitter sends that blind YOU but the rain Of
April steals upon you cool, half reluctantly,
yet lovingly, like the steps of Il bride to the
altar.
1t does not gather like the storm clouds Of
Winter, grey and heavy along the horizon
and creep with subtle and insensible approach
es like age) to the very zenith; but there are
score Of white winged swimmers afoAt, that
your eye has chased as you lay fatigued with
the delicious languor of an April sun;-nol
have you scarce noticed that little bevey O
those floating clouds had grouped together il
a sober company. presently, you see a
cross the field, the dark gray streaks stretch
ing like lines of mists, from the green bosom
of the valley in that spot of sky where the
company Of clouds is lettering; and with ar
easy shifting of the helm the fleet Of swim
mers come drifting over you, and drep theii
burden into the dancing pools, and make the
flowers glisten, and the caves drip with theil
crysta / bounty.
The cattle linger still, cropping the new
come grass; and childhood laughs joyfully al
the warm rain;---or under the cottage roo
catc hes with eager ear, the patter Of its fall
4 Yti - N t.