Year: 1878

1t was Mr. Rufus Choate, we believe, who, in
brilliant harangue the uncertain character OF the
New-England climate mentioned a Connecticut
man who was struck by lightning IN January, and a
New-Hanpshre man who was frozen TO death IN
July. This year and this May, the meteorological
eccentricities not confined to any locality A
chattcring of teeth comes to us by telegraph from
the North and from the South. There has been an
epidemic, If we may say so, of r0sts, not only up


in Minnesota, where they are accustomed to such
chilly anaChrOnsms, but away down in Virginia
and Old Kentucky. New-IIampshire and Vermont
have been visited by a snow-storm which made the
Green Mountains white and the White Mountains
whiter. There have been light frOsts in certain
parts of Pennsylvania, and heavy ones in others.
Various sections of our own State have
been similarly visited. There is the usual
difference of opinion respecting the effect
of this untimely atmosphere upon the crops Hope
is exhibited IN some quarters in Others, perfect
confidence; in still others, grievous apprehension
but upon the whole, the reports are toleraby cheer
full. The fruits and early vegetables have suffered
the most severely; but the grain crops, though put
back little have with some exceptions, survived
unharued the fall Of the thermometer. 1t Is too
early perhaps to estimate the damage which has
been done to production, and great deal Will de-
pend upon the temperature Of the next few days
The general feeling does not appear to be despond-
ent one, by any means. The trial has been severe,
but it might have been more SO.


The general public is pretty sure of having enough
to eat during the coming year. IL grows, therefore,
al this conjunction of January and May upon general
principles Its sense of the fitness Of things is grIey-
ousy wounded. The housewife is hurt by the re-
knding of fires which she thought that only Octo-
Der would see blazing audhea cracking once more.
The overcoat comes out again from the closet to
which with the shabbiness of a seasons wear it was
consigned. The Spring fashions which seemed well
enough in April, are already out OF keeping. The
air is sharp enough to stretch nerves to an irr
tating tension and we do not speak kindly to each
other Our contempt Tor the calendar is enhanced.
ana we wonder what the poets who have harped of
"etherel mildness' would have said or
sung of this upping aud eager air. The
strawberries look intruslye the green leaves
and grass seem to be positive insult; and the let
tuco appears TO curl its crisp leaves at rs with con-
tempt. Surely this May could not have been the
month against the bland and amatOry influences of
which the grave Spectator cautioned the British
maiden. We may well believe that the English
Spring is earler by weeks than ours. and that the
great Mr.. James Thomson would have found in our
May but little inspiration for his woll-padded and
stately lines.


Fortunately the discomfort of a cold snap just be-
fore June, or in June itself, is not Of fatal Sort
though it may be hard upon invalids who have
come back from the South too soon. We are not
early vegetables and though all flesh is grass, the
Spring frosts will not wther it. Our climate is, of
course, such as Nature has been pleased to bestow
upon us, If she sends US hard Winters, it is
without the long Arctic nights the wide Arctic des
olations if torIid Summers, it is without the earth
quakes and tornadOes Let us not quarrel with our
latitude and longitude! Let take our weather
"easyn