Page:The Story of Aunt Becky's Army-Life .djvu/200

160 the temptation to ramble, and so went over into the Second Corps, and had a lively chat with Miss Vance and Miss Blackman.

The great guns keep up the heavy cannonading, but hope deferred maketh the heart sick, and Lee's strength holds its own with Grant's pertinacity.

1em The last day of winter in the calendar. I felt so ambitious this morning I wished to wash—to do some real hard labor, and I knew I should sleep better tonight if I could do it.

Farewell, old Winter, stern, icicled fellow; you were not very welcome to me, yet I wonder what will happen to this soul and body before you bring your chilly winds again to our planet. Welcome, sweet Spring—joyous season of tender green and brightest-tinted flowers—I see your fluttering robes in the days just coming; your head droops low, and you drop tears for the cold old winter, which to-night creeps off to the North, and leaves you to contend with some bitter winds which, sad truants, forgot to follow their lord.

1em Now for a long month when coy spring coquettes with earth, and rains tears and smiles, sweet smiles, then frowns, and averts her head, and the long thirty-one days will drag. We are so eager to see the ground covered again with the embroidery which is woven by the toilers in air, and sun, and earth, and water.