Page:Practical hints respecting moths and butterflies, with notices of their localities - forming a calendar of entomological operations throughout the year, in pursuit of Lepidoptera (IA practicalhintsre00shie).pdf/7



to the new Year! The old year, with its hopes and fears, is gone, and become a thing of the past; but although the year itself has gone, never to return, it has left behind it sunny memories—memories of green fields and leafy woods—of the happy social rambles in pursuit of Nature's beauties; rambles which, besides, supplied us with large draughts of health and joy. The umbrageous wood, the smiling meadow, the music of the rippling stream, as it winds its way over its pebbly bed—the song of the lark, as he rises from his dewy conch, soaring towards the sky, pouring out his little soul in floods of gushing melody, together with the busy stir of insect life, combine to form a scene calculated to produce the holiest hopes, the loftiest aspirations. Cold must be the heart not moved by such a scene—perturbed, indeed, must be the spirit that it would not soothe!

O, Memory! we love to linger with thee: thou bringest to us “voices of the past, shadows of the mighty dead;” thou fillest our souls with gladness, and our hearts with joy; thou incitest us to worthier deeds, to loftier aspirations; thou pointest out to us our shortcomings and errors; thou recallest to our minds the actions of the past, placing them in juxta-