Behold the rooks, how odd their flight, In fiery red the sun doth rise, Then wades through clouds to mount the skies: No working in the fields to-morrow. SPRING. "And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds; but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them. "Fair weather cometh out of the north." Job xxxvii. 21, 22. This word sufficiently explains itself, as being the appropriate name for the season, when so many of the vegetable world spring out of the ground. A mild spring, though answering the description of the poet, "Gentle Spring; ethereal mildness," is considered detrimental to the progress of plants, by bringing them too forward, so that they are not able to bear the check of the nipping frosts which seldom leave us entirely till the latter end of May, or the beginning of June. SUMMER. "Come on therefore, let us enjoy the good things that are present; and let us speedily use the creatures like as in youth. "Let us fill ourselves with costly wine, and ointments, and let no flower of the spring pass by us. "Let us crown ourselves with rose-buds, before they be withered." The Wisdom of Solomon, ii. 6—8. This word is derived from Sun, or rather from its prevalence at the season of the year so named. It was originally Sun-ner, or Sun-ner, or Sun-mer; Sun-mer; the latter syllable, as in many other instances, being introduced for the sake of harmony. AUTUMN. "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and the herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; "And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart." Psalm civ. 14, 15. Derived from the Latin (autumnus). Dr. Johnson defines it as the season of the year between summer and winter, beginning astronomically at the equinox, and ending at the solstice. Autumn is aptly termed by Dr. Drake the "Evening of the Year." WINTER. "He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength. "He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work. "Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places. Out of the south cometh the whirlwind; and cold out of the north. "By the breath of God, frost is given; and the breadth of the waters is straitened." Job xxxvii. 6-10. The word Winter is derived from the Wind, i.e., the time of year when the wind is most prevalent or boisterous; the t having taken place of the d; and the er being merely added to harmonise the word. MONTH. This term, as applied to the twelve divisions of the year, is derived from our Saxon ancestors, who called it Monat or Monath. It is so called from its being the period of the moon's revolution round the earth. WEEK. A period of seven days, of uncertain origin, but which has been used from time immemorial in Eastern countries. By some writers the use of weeks is sup posed to be a remnant of the tradition of the creation; while others refer its origin to the seven planets known in ancient time. DAY. The day of nature, or the time required for the rotation of the earth on its axis, is 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds, and one-tenth of a second. In that time, a star comes round to appear in the same place we had formerly seen it. But the earth, having an additional motion on its orbit round the sun, requires about 3 minutes, 56 seconds more, or 24 hours in all, to have the sun brought round to appear at the same place; in other words, for any place on the surface of the earth to come to the meridian. Thus arises the difference between a sidereal day and a solar day, between apparent and mean time.— Chambers' "Book of Days." HOUR. The division of the day into hours was only adopted when means had been applied to mechanically measure time. The first allusion to hours in the Bible is in the Book of Daniel iv. 19: "Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour." Both Jews and Romans, on dividing the day into 24 hours, gave equal numbers to day and night. JANUARY. This is the first, and generally the coldest, month in the year, says Hone, in his "Every Day Book." It derives its name from Fanus, a deity represented by the Romans with two faces, because he was acquainted with past and future events. FEBRUARY. This month has Pisces, or the fishes, for its zodiacal sign. Numa, who was chosen by the Roman peoplę to succeed Romulus as their king, and became their legislator, placed it the second in the year, as it remains with us, and dedicated it to Neptune, the lord of waters. Its name is from Februa or Feralia, sacrifices offered to the gods at this season. MARCH. March is the third month of the year; with the ancients it was the first. According to Mr. Leigh Hunt, from Ovid, the Romans named it Mars, the god of war, because he was the father of their first prince. As to the deity's nature, March has certainly nothing in common with it; for though it affects to be |