Year: 1873

Along the air


OF winds upon their battle ground,
But gently there,


The snow is talling-all around
How fair-how fair-ReC Ralph HoW.
February, closes the winter season. Tb,
days are longer now. The sun gets up ear


lier in the morning, and goes to bed later a


night, than it did month ago, and it helpi
along wonderfully. We can take one turr
more now in the course OF the day, in log.
ging or hauling wood for the fire.
Nearly fifty years ago, London lawye
wrote a little book which he entitled
:" Mirror Of the MonthS' 1t contains
| twelve papers; one devoted to each montt
in the year. The first part of each pa gel
has reference to appearances OF nature In The
country, aud customs among country people
and the second TO those OF the city thus
affording striking contrast between them
These papers were - written entirely irou
the personal observations of one who used
no notebook but that which Nature wrote
for him IN the tablets OF her memory


In speaking Of the month of February he
says: - Some one has said of the Scotch
novels, that that is the best which we hap
pen to peruse last 1t is thus that estimate
the relative value and virtue of the months
The one which happens to be present with
me is sure to be that one which | happen to
like better than any of the others. | lately
insisted on the supremacy of January ou
various accounts Now | have a similar
claim to put in IN favor of the next in
succession. And it shall 90 hard but will
prove, to the entire satisfaction of all whom
1t may concern, that each IN her turn is be-
yond comparison, the wisest, virtuousest.
dlscreetest, best. The time present is the
IS,. e, 1 l.
ent because it Is because it is something
whereas all other times are nothing The
time, present, therefore, is essentially bet


ter than any other time, IN the proportion
OF something to nothing.


"ln the meantime, let US search for
another and better reason why every one OF
the months is, In its turn, the best.
The cleverest Scotch philosopher that ever
lived has SAID, that man had better be
born with disposition to look on the bright
side OF things, than to an estate OF ten thou
sand a year. | will venture to 90 still
farther, and say, that to be able to look at
things as they are, Is best OF all. To him
who can do this, ali is as it should be, all
things work together for good whatever is,
is right To hIm who can do this, the pres
ent time is all-sufhcient, OF rather it is all in
all for ii he cannot enjoy any other, it is
because no other susceptible of being
enJoyed, except through the medium OF the
present"


Our C arming author then continues
SO Hail then, February month and mother
of love not that love which requires the
sun of midsummer to foster it into life, and
is SO restless and fugitive that nothing can
hold it but bands made of bright eye-beams,
and dainty that hp tod
leaves and SO proud and fantastical that
bowers OF Jasmine and honeysuckle are not
good enough for it to dwell in, or the green
turf solt enough ior its feet to press, but it
must sit beneath sllken canopies, and tread
ON Turkey car pets, and breathe the breath
of pastiles and SO chilly that it must pass
all It's nights within a gentle bosom, or it
dies.


I" Hail February Virgin mother of this
love of all loves, which dies almost the day
that it is born, and yet leaves the Odor of its
sweetness upon the whole alter lite of those
who were not TOO wise to admit it for mo-
ment to their embraces


These, kind reader, are some of the
thoughts of man engaged in the distrac-
tions of law, as profession, in a city OF
millions, but who could appreciate the
charms of country life, and speak OF them as
very few have spoken. W hat a realizing
sense he must have had of the wisdom and
benefcence of the changing seasons, and the
varied delights which they bring. Can his
words fail of convincing US that the present
it among driving SHOWS or biushing
howers-iS the best OF all time Let us
think of it, and see if we cannot make this
February of 1873, the happiest month of onr
lives. N e. Farmer.