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"O cuckoo, shall I call thee bird,
Or but a wandering voice?'

for it is not often that a glimpse can be obtained of the singular creature that cries cuckoo-cuckoo as it flits along the shady side of the hedge, or amid the thick underwood, looking for the nest of some other bird wherein to lay its eggs, which are left to be hatched by the owner of the habitation thus intruded on: cuckoo-cuckoo, again it comes, seeming more near. Let us cross the stream, and enter the wood which stretches up the side of the opposite hill; who knows but we may get a glimpse of the shy bird, and also of one not less retired in his habits, though much more musical in its voice, I mean the nightingale.' And the child laughed and clapped his little hands with glee, as he followed SPRING Over the single rough piece of timber which formed a bridge for passengers over the stream. And is it not a beautiful bird?" said he, "one with feathers all coloured like the rainbow? it surely must be a beautiful bird, or it never could sing so sweetly.' conductor smiled and merely answered. We shall see presently." And so on they passed between two graceful willows, which stood dipping their drooping boughs into the stream, and across the road which led to a pretty little village, whose church spire peeped out from amid some noble elms, that seemed desirous of screening the holy building from the view of the passer by, and protecting it from all insult or injury from man or the elements; and along this road side there ran a mossy bank, whereon grew in abundance the sweetest violets, both purple and white,

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that the child had ever smelt or seen; there they were clustering amid the hollows formed by the twisted roots of a row of aged thorns and elder trees, which formed, as it were, a line of sentinels to the wood beyond, and threw out their crooked arms on every side, and perked up their rough mis-shapen forms, as much as to say, • You cannot enter here! we will not allow it!" But the child was not at all alarmed at their threatening looks, and defying attitudes; he knew very well that they could not hurt him, for he had often broken off the lesser branches of the first, to stick daisies on the sharp points with which they are armed, and thus make a minature tree full of blossoms, and of the last to convert into pop-guns, and he therefore, at a motion from his smiling companion, boldly began to clamber up the bank at the top of which they stood. Suddenly, however, he started back, and almost fell, as a singular looking creature, with a yellow skin, having on it black spots and blotches, as though some one had flung an ink-stand at it, in short, a frog, leapt out from beneath the root of an elder, whereon the child had just put his hand, and kept jumping away towards the banks of the stream, as if for bare life; and well it might, for after it there came gliding rapidly, with a motion like that of a rolling wave of the sea, a snake whose beautifully variegated skin shone in the sunshine as though it had been decked in gold and jewels. "Be not

afraid," said SPRING, observing the alarm of the child, "they are both perfectly harmless; although they are very commonly looked upon with fear and disgust, yet they could not hurt you, even if they had the wish to do so, which I am very sure they have not. Many are the gentle and inoffen

sive creatures which man regards with aversion, and destroys wantonly, because he believes them to be venomous, or in some way injurious to himself or his property; a more intimate acquaintance with their habits and uses would convince him of his error, and lead him to shelter and protect them rather;" and, thus saying, with a look of tender pity upon her beaming countenance, she took the child's hand, who felt as if borne up by a gentle breeze laden with all sweet odours, and ascended the bank, on the other side of which was a copse of hazel and other trees of low growth, beyond immediately adjoining which, was the wood they were about to enter. It was no less curious than pleasant to see how the old elders brightened up as the vernal season passed by, and looked upon them with her sunny eyes, and breathed into their rugged trunks fresh life and vigour; how their leaves fluttered and quivered again with pleasure, and looked fresher and greener than they had done for many a day before; and how the thorns, that before looked so cross, and spiteful, and naked, and sullen, now began to clothe themselves in delicate glossy foliage, and to hide their sharp prickles, as if they were ashamed of bearing them in such company; indeed, they strove very hard, but, of course, unsuccessfully, to appear as gay and agreeable as their relative, the white, or hawthorn, as it is generally called, which at a little distance down the lane, was, as the poet says, wrapping its boughs in a snowy mantle :-

"Between the leaves the silver white thorn shows

Its dewy blossoms pure as mountain snows."

and sending forth such a fragrant greeting to the passing

SPRING, that she turned to smile upon her favourite tree, and so warm and radiant was that smile, that seemed to penetrate the earth, and to clear and brighten the atmosphere for miles around: so that the bees came forth from their hives, and hollow trees, and holes in the sandy banks, and the early butterflies began to flirt about, and

"The little flies did crawl,

Along the southern wall,
Faintly shifting, faintly shifting,

Wings scarce strong enough for lifting;"

and every where the birds and the blossoms unfolded themselves, and the leaves grew, and the blades of grass sprung up thicker and thicker, and who can tell what a countless multitude of primroses came out clustering by the roots of the hazel trees, as she peeped through the copse where the nightingales sung so sweetly, and so loudly, that the child thought he was listening to the voices of angels, and was quite astonished, when his guide, having led him cautiously into the thickest part of the copse, pointed out a little sober-coloured bird, which just showed itself, and then flew away to a more secure covert, as one of those from whose tiny throats the delightful melody proceeded. "Judge not," said SPRING, turning and looking earnestly and benignly on her young companion :—

"Judge not, as on through life you go,
By pleasing looks, or outward show;
That which is plainest to the eye
May have a voice of melody.

Like this small bird, so wild and shy;

And that in richest colours drest,
Which seems the fairest, and the best,
May be of no such worth possest,
But only shock the ear when heard,
Like many a gaudy Tropic bird.

As the last words died upon the listening air, the child observed with surprise, that a change came over the speaker's countenance; the sweet smile, which had hitherto played about her rosy lips, and shone in her soft blue eyes, gradually died away, as the sunshine fades from the landscape when the shadows of evening steal on. "Listen!" she exclaimed, placing herself in an attitude of earnest attention, "Listen!" and the colour continued to fade from her cheeks, and as she spoke, her voice grew faint and mournful, and the apple and other fruit blossoms, which she wore sprinkled amid her golden hair, dropped one by one to the earth, or were taken, and carried gently off by the wind, which had hitherto been fresh and bracing, but now seemed gradually sinking and dying away; while a sultry air, laden with richer scents, and filled with a sound as of myriads of buzzing and humming insects, seemed to take its place; and it weighed down the eyelids, and pressed upon the senses of the child, so that all things became dim and indistinct, and he sank down, overcome by the feeling of languor which pervaded his whole frame. and wrapped his faculties in a deep sleep. Before this occurred, however, he could note that the green robe of SPRING, all pearled with dew-drops, and glistening with moisture, was assuming a deeper tint, while golden buttercups began to be intermingled with the

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