Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-01
CAME WRONG END TO"
WINTER HAS BEEN LINGERING
IN THE LAP OF SPRING.

As the country folk here In New Hamp-
shire express 1t, the winter came wrong
end-to'' this time, and, in truth. as l look
from my window this asa Of March, It is
difficult to believe that within q few days
1t will be April, and that we shall have
warm, spring weather, with bluebirds fly
ing and with robins singing all about US.
Our expectations of spring are based en-
tirely on past experience not on present In
dications. This morning, at O'Clock, the
Thermometer registered zero. and there was
a wind with 1t which made 1t feel like fifty
below.
There Is actually more snow on the ground
now than there has been at any other time
this winter, and on the main roads the
sleighing could not be better. The back
roads are almost impossible because of the
drifts, one of which. directly in front of
our house, Is nearly six feet deep Snow
shoes are In order and. except on the main
roads, 1t is wellnigh impossible to get any
where without them Usually the road COM
missdoners see to 1t that the road leading
to this house Is broken out, but 1t seems
the matter was overlooked this week, SO,
day before yesterday, ] made a stab at 1t
myself, with my team OF buffalo calves
now eleven months old. And they did their
work like thoroughbreds.
Nothing that goes on four legs could have
shown more fire or better courage than
those youngsters did when called on to do
their first bit Of really hard work. There
not the slightest disposition to balk at
anything. No drift was too deep for them.
though they sank In to their bellies or fur
Their. tanning their sturdy necks into the
yoke, they fairly pranced along through the
heavy SHOW, at speed which 1t seemed
must have quickly left behind a team of
domestic oxen Of any age.
OF course they have never yet actually
competed with any other team. but II they
are better than their domestic brethren they
will have an opportunity to prove 1t next
autumn. Arrangements are already being
made for series Of contests, in which they
will meet the strongest and fastest steers
of their own age in New England But to
return to my subject.
Last year at this time there were plenty
of early migrants; bluebirds, robins and
song sparrows being most In evidence. Some
of the song sparrows were singing and
It was soft and fast disappearing under a
warm This year there are plenty Of
crows, but not a single robin or bluebird
have l seen yet Even the crows seem to
be having q hard time Of 1t. flying and
walking far for little food. The birds which
patronize our 'restauran' are more nu-
merous now than they were earlier In the
season. doubtless because the weather is
more severe. A mock or SnOWHaKeS stopped
In front of the barn yesterday for meal of
hayseed. and tree sparrows are on the
piazza much of the time. The chickadees,
which came to us so persistently last Win
ter, lave been absent most OF this season,
but on the two or three occasions when
they did come, they alighted on our hands
and faces readily enough. The bluejays
are here for bread. seed and cracked corn
every day in the week and this morning
counted six of them in the seed tray at
once In spite of their noise and buster,
they are much more companfonable than
many of the other birds, and will usually
feed much closer together without hghtlns
than the chickadees will, for instance.
Nor are the birds the only creatures which
accept our hospitality just now. Every day
after the Jays have gone, a red squirrel
comes to the seed tray, and apparently en-
joys himself eating bread and corn. He
was highly nervous when he first came. and
if one of US went to the window he was
off down the stems of the lilac bushes and
over the snow-covered garden to his retreat
in an old stone wall. But now he does not
mind a bit If we open the front door and
stand quietly by while he takes his break