Butwhenamancamehomeatnight，afterlongday’slabour，knowingthatthedaysincreased，andsohiscareshouldmultiply；stillhefoundenoughoflighttoshowhimwhatthedayhaddoneagainsthiminhisgarden。Everyridgeofnew-turnedearthlookedlikeanoldman’smuscles，honeycombed，andstandingoutvoidofspring，andpowdery。Everyplantthathadrejoicedinpassingsuchawinternowwascowering，turnedaway，unfittomeettheconsequence。Flowingsaphadstoppeditscourse；flutedlinesshowedwantoffood，andifyoupinchedthetopmostspray，therewasnoreboundorfirmness。
Wethinkagooddeal，inaquietway，whenpeopleaskusaboutthem——ofsomefine，upstandingpear-trees，graftedbymygrandfather，whohadbeenverygreatlyrespected。AndhegotthosegraftsbyshelteringapoorItaliansoldier，inthetimeofJamestheFirst，amanwhonevercoulddoenoughtoshowhisgratefulmemories。Howhecametoourplaceisaverydifficultstory，whichIneverunderstoodrightly，havinghearditfrommymother。Atanyrate，therethepear-treeswere，andtheretheyaretothisveryday；andIwisheveryonecouldtastetheirfruit，oldastheyare，andrugged。
Nowthesefinetreeshadtakenadvantageofthewestwinds，andthemoisture，andthepromiseofthespringtime，soastofillthetipsofthespray-woodandtherowelsallupthebrancheswithacrowdofeagerblossom。Notthattheywereyetinbloom，norevenshowingwhiteness，onlythatsomeoftheconeswereopeningatthesideofthecapwhichpinchedthem；andthereyoumightcountperhaps，adozennobs，likeverylittlebuttons，butgrooved，andlined，andhuddlingclose，tomakeroomforoneanother。Andamongthesebudsweregray-greenblades，scarcebiggerthanahairalmost，yetcurvingsoasiftheirpurposewastoshieldtheblossom。
Otherofthespur-points，standingontheolderwoodwherethesapwasnotsoeager，hadnotbursttheirtunicyet，butwereflayedandflakedwithlight，castingoffthehuskofbrowninthree-corneredpatches，asIhaveseenaScotchman’splaid，orashislegsshowsthroughit。Thesebuds，atadistance，lookedasiftheskyhadbeenrainingcreamuponthem。
Nowallthisfairdelighttotheeyes，andgoodpromisetothepalate，wasmarredandbaffledbythewindandcuttingofthenight-frosts。Theopeningconeswerestruckwithbrown，inbetweenthebuttonbuds，andonthescapesthatshieldedthem；whilethefootpartofthecoverhunglikerags，peeledback，andquivering。