TRUE INDEPENDENCE.

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in a different manner from these people, and our habits of life compel us to stand in need of many things that an Indian never thought of. Therefore an Indian is more independent than we are. But, if we choose, we may be very independent, too; and the way is, by getting all the useful knowledge we can; by being diligent in our business, and contented with what we gain. Now, Adam, you will never be an independent man if you know no more of arithmetic than you do at present; because you will not be able to calculate the value of the things which you wish to sell, but must have a person to do this for you; and then you will be dependent indeed. You cannot think of this too often, that if you wish not to be in the power of any man living, (for that is being independent,) you must acquire all the knowledge possible; be honest, and be contented."

This dreary week having passed, and Adam, to say the truth, tired of the confinement, the weather cleared, and a brisk wind sprung up, which, after a few hours, dried the surface of the ground so that they could go to work. Mr. Stock told Adam that this would be a very busy month for them. "In the first place," said he, "we must weed the beds which we sowed the last two months. The onions, the parsnips, the carrots, the lettuces, and, indeed, all the beds. And if we persevere now, while the weeds are young, we shall keep the garden clear, and benefit the plants. But you must be very careful, and distinguish the weeds." This was a tedious task, and Adam began to be wearied; but as his father helped him, and kept steadily at it, he did not complain. When they had finished, his father showed him how to dress the artichokes, and take off the suckers for fresh plants. Afterwards he

38

MARCH MANY WEATHERS.

saw him fork up and rake up the asparagus, and sow the seeds for fresh beds. When this was done, they sowed some more beet-root, beans, and broccoli, for the first crop; carrots, parsnips, and onions, for the principal crop, and for the winter. His father showed him, too, how to prick out the celery, and plant it; and then they transplanted the young cauliflower plants which had been all the winter under glasses: they also sowed radishes and mustard and cress, covering up the beds from the cold winds. "Now, Adam," said his father, "you may take the barrow, and wheel in some manure from the yard, and we will make a cucumber bed. When we have finished this, we will plant out our potatoes; and I will show you how to cut them into quarters, so as to leave in each partition what is called an eye; for where there is an eye, there will be a shoot, and a fresh plant. And when this is done we will sow two or three more rows of our favorite peas; and we will have one or more beds of turnips." All this, I should suppose, occupied them nearly a fortnight. During the time they were at work, the season was very various. It might truly be called "March many weathers;" for in the course of one day they had wind, and sunshine, snow, rain, and fierce storms of hail. "It is well, Adam," said Mr. Stock, "that we covered up our tender flowers, and screened the fruit-trees; or the opening blossoms would have suffered bitterly from 'the slanting bullets of the storm.' But we must not complain; for all this violent weather had better come now than later in the year, when our blossoms would be more opened. And indeed it is pleasant to have the gleams of sunshine after the dark storms, and to see the great clouds moving before the wind like mountains of snow, and

MARCH DERIVED FROM MARS.

39

to watch the shadows of them passing over the ploughed lands; and when they are far off, to see the showers descend in long streaks. See, now, how beautiful those pigeons look, hurrying home after their meal, with the black cloud behind them! Then we have the lively song of the chaffinch between the showers. It is of the greatest service to the rising ve getation to have these changes of rain, wind, and sunshine; because the moisture is allowed to sink to the roots of the plants, and the warmth of the sun brings them and the seeds forward. You forgot to ask me why this month March was so named, and I forgot to tell you. Romulus, who, you know, was the first king of Rome, divided the year into months; and as he appointed this to be the first month, he named it after the god MARS, who, he pretended, was his father. After the killing of Julius Cæsar, this was accounted by the Romans an unlucky month. If you have forgotten the account of that great man's death, you shall read it again in your Roman History. You will there see, that he was advised by one who knew of the plot that was formed against his life, to beware of the IDES of March; he neglected the warning, however, and was murdered." Adam asked the meaning of the word IDES. His father told him that the Romans called the 15th day of March, May, July, and October, and the 13th day of the other months, the IDES. The word comes from the Latin, iduare, which means to divide, because those days formed the halves of the months. "Come, you shall help me plant out these few sweet herbs, which I sowed last year; and here we will have a row of parsley; then if the weather be likely to hold up for the remainder of the day, we will dine early, and take a long walk." They did so, and

away they all went. By the side of a farm-yard, on a dead branch, at the top of an elm tree, they heard a thrush making the homestead ring with his fine note Their father told them that, if they were now near some wood of beech trees, they would hear the ringdove cooing, and perhaps the crowing of pheasants, the most beautiful birds in our country. "The rooks also are now in a great bustle," said he, "building their nests; and as the spring is fully set in, and the air mild, I make no doubt we shall see the bat fluttering like a butterfly around the farm-yards in search of gnats and other insects, its food. I told you, if you recollect, that the bat is one of the animals that remain torpid all the winter; that is, that it sleeps through the whole of that season. It is generally to be found in the roofs of thatched cottages, and in small holes in the walls of old out-houses, hanging by the hind legs, and covered over with its wings. If you had found one during the severe weather of January, and had kept it in your hand for some time, or placed it near the fire, it would have awakened and begun to fly about. But it would be a cruel thing to do so, for as there is no food for it at that time of the year, the little creature would certainly die." Adam said it could go to sleep again. "Yes," said his father, "so it could; and sometimes, when we have two or three warm days during the winter season, they will awake and come from their hiding-places; but then the same warmth brings forth the insects which are their food and when the frosty wind returns, they do go to sleep again, well fed. But if you were to rouse one by bringing him to the fire, he would wake almost starved from his long fasting, and would flutter about in search of food. If he did rot soon heet with some,

VARIETIES OF BEES.

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being so weak with hunger, he would very shortly die.

"In this month, the beautiful little fish called the smelt, or sparling, comes up the rivers from the sea, to lay its spawn in the warm shallow places. It is so tender, that if it meet with any snow or ice in the river, it hurries back again to the sea. When caught, it has a delicate scent, as of cucumber sliced. It is from its singular smell that it derives its name, smelt."

As they were passing a field, they observed a man ploughing, and behind him a great number of rooks, picking up the worms and grubs of insects which the plough had turned over. Their father told them that these birds are very useful to the farmer, on account of the quantity of vermin they destroy; and, therefore, that it is not wise to shoot them, for they are easily scared from the land when the seed is in the ground.

Mr. Stock told Adam, if he took notice, he might observe different sorts of bees out now; because the weather had become warmer, and that there were many more flowers. "The one you saw," said he, "last month, in the crocus, was a very early visitor, for they seldom venture forth till the middle of this month. There are several species in this country, some of which are of a solitary nature, and bore for themselves a hole in banks of earth. These gather no honey. Others, like your friends, the humblehees, are gregarious; which means, that they live in flocks; from the Latin word grex, gregis, which, you ought to recollect, signifies a flock. These collect and lay up honey for the winter; and, lastly, those which we keep in hives, which partake of the same nature. About this time the different sorts of snakes come forth from their haunts, where they have lain coiled