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THE

SECTION II

I.

4. THE SPRING.

HE wind blows in the sweet rose-tree:
The cow lows on the fragrant' lea;2
The streamlet' flows all bright and free:
"Tis not for me- -'tis not for thee;

'Tis not for any one, I trōw:*

The gentle wind blowèth,

The happy cow lōwèth,

The měrry stream flōwèth

For all below.

O the Spring, the bountiful' Spring!
She shinèth and smilèth on every thing.

2. Whence come the sheep?

From the rich man's moor."

Where comèth sleep?

To the bed that's

poor.

Peasants must weep,

And kings endure:

That is a fate that none can cure.

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Yet Spring doth all she can, I trōw:

She brings the bright hours,

She weaves the sweet flowers;

She děckèth her bowers for all below.
O the Spring, the bountiful Spring!
She shineth and smileth on every thing.

1 Fra' grant, sweet of smell. 2 Lea, sward-land or a meadow. 3 Stream' let, a small stream; a rivulet; a rill.

4 Trow, suppose or think; believe. 5 Boun' ti ful, generous; free in giving.

6 Moor, a large waste covered with heath, and having a poor, light soil, but sometimes marshy.

BRYAN WALLER PROCTER.

7 None (nůn), not one.
8 Doth (důth).

8 Bryan Waller Procter, an English poet, better known by his as sumed name of Barry Cornwall, was born at London about 1790. Although his prose is excellent, he is chiefly noted as a song writer, some of his songs being singularly well adapted to music.

II.

5. SPRING.

Now the e bright morning, but ever and

OW the laughing, jolly Spring began sometimes to show

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anon, meeting the angry frown of Winter, loath to resign his rough sway over the wide realm of Nature, she would retire again into her southern bower. Yet, though her visits were but short, her věry look seemed to exercise a magic1 influence.

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2. The birds began slowly to expand their close winter folds; the dark and melancholy woods to assume an almost imperceptible purple tint; and here and there a little chirping bluebird hopped about the orchard of Elsingburgh. Strips of fresh green appeared ǎlong the brooks, now released from their icy fetters; and nests of little variegated flowers, namelèss, yet richly deserving a name, sprang up in the sheltered recesses of the leaflèss woods.

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3. By and by, the shad, the harbinger' at once of spring and plenty, came up the river before the mild southern breeze; the ruddy blossoms of the peach-tree exhibited their gorgeous păgeantry;1 the little lambs appeared frisking and gamboling11 about the sedate 12 mother; young, innocent calves began their first bleatings; the cackling hen announced her daily feat in the barn-yard with clamorous astonishment; ěvèry day added to the appearance of that active vegetable and animal life which nature presents in the progress13 of the gēniäl1 spring; and,

1 Bux' om, fair, healthy, gay, and handsome; frolicsome.

2 Lōath, unwilling; backward. 8 Again (å gèn ́), once more.

Măg'iċ, pertaining to the hidden wisdom supposed to be possessed by the Magi, or "wise men from the East," who brought gifts to the infant Jesus; apparently requiring more than human power.

5 Měľ an chŏl ỷ, low-spirited; unhappy; sad.

• Vāri e gāt ed, marked with different colors.

'Har bin ger, one who provides lodging; a forerunner.

8 Exhibited (8gz hib ́ it ed), held forth or presented to view; presented for inspection; displayed.

'Gorgeous, imposing through splendid or many colors; showy.

10 Păgeant ry, grand exhibition or show; something for vain, outward display or appearance.

11 Găm bol ing, leaping and skipping about in sport.

12 Se date', calm; quiet; sober. 13 Progress, a moving or going forward; gradual advance or growth in learning, goodness, etc.

14 Ge' ni al, joyous and awakening joy or happiness; productive.

finally, the flowers, the zephyrs,' and the warblers, and the maiden's rosy cheeks, announced to the eye, the ear, the senses, the fancy, and the heart, the return and the stay of the vernal' year.

III.

PAULDING.4

6. THE BIRTH-DAY OF SPRING.

RY Holiday! Holiday! let us be gãy,

CRY

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And share in the rapture of heaven and earth;'
For, see! what a sunshiny joy they display,

To welcome the Spring on the day of her birth;
While the elements, gladly outpouring their voice,
Nature's pæan proclaim, and in chōrus' rejoice!
2. Loud cărols 10 each rill, as it leaps in its bed;

The wind brings us music and balm " from the south,
And Earth in delight calls on Echo to spread
The tidings of joy with her many-tongued mouth;
Over sea, over shōre, over mountain and plain,
Far, far doth she trumpet the jubilee " strain.

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3. Hark! hark to the robin! its magical call
Awakens the flowerets that slept in the dells; "
The snow-drop, the primrose, the hyacinth, all

1 Zěph' yr, any soft, mild, gentle breeze; a light wind, and particularly the west wind.

2 Făn' cy, a picture of anything formed in the mind; that power by which the mind forms an image or picture of something.

3 Ver′ nal, belonging to, or appearing in, the spring; hence, belonging to youth, the spring of life.

4 James K. Paulding, the early literary associate of Washington Irving, author of "The Dutchman's Fireside," and more than thirty other volumes, was born in Pleasant Valley, Dutchess Co., N. Y., Aug. 22, 1779, and died in Hyde Park, in the same county, April 6, 1860.

5 Share (shår), see Note 2, p. 18.

6 Rǎpt' ure, the state or condition of being rapt, or carried away from one's self by agreeable excitement ; great joy or pleasure.

Earth (êrth), see Note 4, p. 18. 8 Pæ' an, among the ancients, a song of rejoicing in honor of Apollo, god of music; hence, a loud and joyous song; a song of triumph.

9 Chō' rus, a band of singers; the parts of a song in which the company join the singer.

10 Căr ol, to sing in joy; warble. 11 Balm (båm), a sweet-smelling plant; any thing which heals, or which soothes or lessens pain.

12 Jū ́ ́bi lee, a season of great joy.
13 Flow' er et, a little flower.
14 Děll, a small, retired valley.

Attune at the summons their silvery bells.

Hush! ting-a-ring-ting! don't you hear how they sing? They are pealing a fairy-like welcome to Spring. 4. The love-thrilling wood-birds are wild with delight; Like ǎrrows loud whistling the swallows flit by; The rapturous' lark, as he sōars out of sight,

Sends a flood of rich melody' down from the sky.
In the air that they quaff, all the feathery throng
Taste the spirit of Spring, that outbursts in a song.
5. To me do the same vernal whisperings breathe,

In all that I scent, that I hear, that I meet,
Without and within me, above and beneath:

Every sense is imbued with a prophecy sweet
Of the pomp and the pleasantness Earth shall assume
When adorned, like a bride, in her flowery bloom.
6. In this transport of nature each feeling takes part:
I am thrilling with gratitude, reverence," joy;

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A new spring of youth seems to gush from my heart,
And the man is transformed' all at once to a boy.
O! let me run wild, as in earlier years;-

If my joy be withheld, I shall burst into tears.

SMITH.8

SOM

SECTION III.

I.

7. BEARS OUT FOR A HOLIDAY.

OME seven or eight years ago I was going on foot to Păris.' I had started tolerably early, and about noon, the fine trees of ǎ forest tempting me at a place where the road makes a sharp

1 Răpt' ur ous, very joyous.

? Měl o dy, sweet singing; pleasant song.

3 Proph' e cý, a foretelling. 4 Trǎns'pōrt, great joy; rapture. › Grǎt' i tūde, warm and friendly feeling toward a giver; thankfulness.

3 Rěví er ence, a continued feeling of great respect and love.

1 Trăns formed', changed in form or feeling.

8 Horace Smith, an English author of great industry and merit, was born in London, Dec. 31, 1779, and died July 12, 1849.

9 Paris (pår ris), capital of the French Empire, after London, the most populous city in Christendom.

turn, I sat down with my back against an oak on a hillock' of grass, my feet hanging over a ditch, and began writing in my green book.

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2. As I was finishing the fourth line, I vaguely raised my eyes, and perceived, on the other side of the ditch, at the edge of the road straight before, only a few paces off, a bear3 staring at me fixedly. In broad daylight one does not have the nightmare; one can not be deceived by a form, by an appearance, by a queer-shaped rock, by an absurd log of wood. At noon, under a 'May-day sun, one is not subject to illusions.*

3. It was indeed ǎ bear, a living bear, a reäl bear, and, mōreover, perfectly hideous. He was gravely seated on his haunches," showing me the dusty underneath of his hind-paws, all the claws of which I could distinguish; his fōre-paws softly crossed over his belly. His jaws were partly open; one of his ears, torn and bleeding, was hanging half off; his lower lip, half tōrn away, showed his well-bared tusks; one of his eyes was gone, and with the other he was looking at me with a serious air.

4. There was not a woodman in the forest, and what little I could see of the road was entirely deserted. One may sometimes get out of a scrape with a dog by calling Gip, or Flora; but what could one say to a bear? Where did he come from? What could it mean, this bear on the Paris high-road? What business could this new sort of vagabond have? It was very strange, very ridiculous,' very unreasonable, and, after all, any thing but pleasant. I was, I confess, much perplexed. However, I remained immovable.

5. The bear on his side also remained immovable; he even seemed to me, to a certain extent, benevolent. He looked at me as tenderly as a one-eyed bear could look. True, he had his jaws wide open, but he opened them as one opens one's mouth. It was not a grin, it was only a gape. There was something honest, sǎnctimonious, resigned, and sleepy, about this bear.

1 Hill' ock, a small hill. 2 Vague' ly, unfixedly; laxly. 3 Bear (bår), see Note 2, p. 18. 4 Illusion (il lu' zůn), a deceptive appearance; a false show.

Haunches (hånch' ez), the hips; the hinder part.

6 Half (håf).

'Ri dic' u lous, fitted to awaken contempt and cause laughter. 8 Gape (gåp).

9 Sancti mō'ni ous, making a show of being pious or devout; saintly.

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