New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-08
TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER.

Cortoinly Nature In these parts Is dong her
hast FOR the art of conversation II people VIII
talk about the weather, they have no cause 10
complain Of the mOnOtOny OF the theme some
ono once sad that doubtless the Creator might
have made a finer fruit than the strawberry
Int doubtless he never did. SO with our ell
mate II there be a spot on the race Oh 'ne
globe so blessed-or otherwise-with "innnlte
variety" we have not yet heard or II, ana VIC
do NOT expect to. at least until DIR. hansen re-
turns with a section Of the North foie III '"e
masthead of his ship. The present season may
by some be reckoned an exceptional one II
nrohoblv IS not Men are prone TO deem every
present experience rccord-breakcr. III VIII W.
entirely proper to regard 1t as merely soo"
average specimen OF what this WONDERFUL CHI
mate Of ours can do, and does habltually no. III
the way OF vast variety and sudden ana sur
nrisiny transformations Indeed. we need not
take the whole winter as an object-lessoh. Inc
last two or three weeks will do.
What have we had between. let lis say, the
middle OF February and the close OF the firSt
week Of March? We have had some Oh the
coolest days ever known herc-the coolest. th'!
saw FOR n score OF vears-and some rs balmy
and genial as the breath OF May. we ha'e
had davs OF Indian Summer calm. and others
Of tcmpestuous fury almost rvailng me
,ronc hurricane One day has been so crystal
clear that the atmosphere seemed chemically
MIRO" and the next SO dark with log and
cloud that we seemed 10 be breathing wa'er
instead Of air. ard artificial light was needed at
high noon Within one week there were Il
yeritable deluge Of rain. a binding Arctic snow
storm and Il fierce midsummer outburSt OF
thunder and lightning. As Ruskin wrote or me
sky. our Who'll. elemental environment has been
sometimes gentle. sometimes caprlclon>. some
times awful. rever the same for two moments
Together
There ar. those who bitterly complain OF II
all. Doubtless they have some reason. This
climate Is trying 1t Is often disagr"table. II ~
often uncomfortable Its inclemency causes
distress TO the poor. and impairs the health
and even destroys the lives OF the weak Even
TO the welclad. wcll-fe! well-housed. robust
and rugged. The vasarles OF The weather are
hard 10 endure Yet on the whole. we have
moro sunshine than storm We have more days
ike Friday morning last than Ike yesterday
morning And oven these very vicissitn'leS ~
which we complain are by no means altogether
evil They may cause only the fitieSt To sur
vlve: but what a discipline and wha' Il develop
mcnt they give 10 those who do survive. The
hardy physique. the active. regnant mind the
untirlng energy. the mastcrful achievement. are
the gifts which come 10 man in what. by
strange irony. we call the Temperate Zone The
soft languor Of trop!c climes. and their mild mo-
notonv. could never have nourshel the world
conuurrlng Vikings aud Cloths, nor have de-
vcoped the mighty Anglo-Saxon race. which Is
now the dominan, force in every quarter of the
globe Ours Is n climate worthy Of an imperial
race and the true philosophy Of II Is to max"
ourselves such Il race. the beneiciaries and not
the victims OF the elements